Unyielding Courage
by Lady.Miraculous
Summary: The sequel to Unbreakable Strength, it seems the zodiac curse will never be broken after the events that took place for the Sohma Family in Unbreakable Strength. How deep do the ties of blood go? And how much can a heart take?
1. Chapter 1: Awake Again

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 1**: Awake

**Authors Note**: This is the sequel to Unbreakable Strength, and is set six months in advanced. I've tried to write other fanfictions, and I just can't concentrate. I keep thinking of poor Liv and Mira and how angry they are at their evil and insensitive writer for giving them tragic endings. Not that I'm hinting that this story's ending will be any better. –smirk-

Enjoy!!!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan.

* * *

The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between sleep and awake, when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened." ~ Unknown

The mountain range set behind the Nolan ranch was idyllic, and yet unacknowledged in it's sublime scopes of nature, towering peaks and grand dips of the earth's crust where God had gently laid pressure with merciful hands. Mira knew every curve and dip of her mountains, and where the hoof prints started and where they ended, trailing alongside her own confident steps into the relentless wonders of the wild. In the valley region of the Nebraska land, there was an endless field with a sea of white daises and beryl forget-me-nots. She could fall into the sweet floral embrace and remain hidden from the world as her trusty, companionable steed munched greedily on the fragile emerald stems. It was a vast and colorful world that she lived in, conquering the land on horseback, starring fear in the face and pushing past it with the mentality of being invincible. She couldn't remember how much time had passed, since she had started to live in this fantasy world, only that it was as warm and comfortable as a child's home. Mira was certain that time had indeed passed since she had run away from Japan, fleeing from…something…

Whatever she had fled from, it must have been painful. She didn't remember the events that had occurred, only that they had brought her back home. She was where she wanted to be, in her comfortable and regular home, safe violet sheets of a double bed with lacy fluffed pillows. The nights were spent in the cozy cocoon of her bed, the days riding wild and free with Belle. Nothing could touch her here. This was safe. This was home.

The days all blended together, time didn't exist on a ranch, only the difference between sunlight and moonlight. It was always quiet and tranquil, with the soft puffs of the horses heaving chests and the flair of their nostrils to keep her company, their unsteady stomp of feet against the thick two hundred pound rubber mats that muffled the clink of iron horseshoes. She knew that her mother was supposed to feed in the morning, but she couldn't quite recall where she had run off to, so Mira did the chores time and time again. Her father was supposed to manage the finances, but Mira hadn't received any bills to hand off to him. She hadn't received any mail at all.

Where was everyone?

"This isn't right," the statement was true enough, but Mira couldn't find the will to want to change it. She remembered pain, a very vivid and twisted agony that was rooted deep in her heart, the affliction of a soul withering from her chest as her lungs caved in and begged for air. If she left the quiet sanctuary of this little cloud nine, she'd fall victim to the crushing agony again. She wanted to stay here, with Belle. They couldn't be together if she went back. Everyone was dead if she went back…

Because…Belle was dead? Wasn't she?

"This isn't right," Mira stumbled over the words for a second time. She reached her hand out to grab onto the kinky strands of Belle's multi-colored mane of flaxen and tawny, but her fingers couldn't grasp anything, the gentle mare becoming transparent and the sound of her palpitating heart diminishing. The mare before her began to pale, along with the rest of the horses and the barn. When Mira ran outside, she watched as her lovely and wondrous mountains began to crumble, large boulders crashing into the earth's crust as the sky turned black and hazardous twisters spun the background into muddled, grey colors. They sky filled with darkness, and then there was nothing.

_"Mira?"_

Someone called her name, her hesitation was deep in responding, eye's as large as saucers as the turbulent winds rushed her from the sanctuary and everything went dark. Once again, she was lost, forsaken in the deepest sanctuary chambers of her mind, foundering as images and people rushed by and losing their identity. She wanted to go back…she wanted to feel safe and secure again. When she moved toward the voice, everything hurt. It felt as if she was walking through a baptism of fire and the people she remembered fled from her conscious, her greedy hands grasping around a precious love ended with the hot blade of tragedy, violent purple eyes closing for the last time. If she retreated back into the darkness, a cold numbing sensation filled her. It was uncomfortable and caused tightness to riddle in her chest, suffocating even. As if someone had just laid a car on her chest to force her heart to lay still. To live and be in pain, or to die and feel nothing.

_"It's time to wake up, Mira."_

"What if I don't want to?" Mira challenged with stubborn indignation, her bottom lip trembling as she ran her hands nervously through the long cascade of curls that felt fragile and breakable under her fingertips. How much time had passed? Since when did she wear her hair at such an irritating length? The voice called her name again, and Mira slowly walked forward. The pain began to ebb its way into her mind, slowly spreading through her body. Her limbs felt saggy and tired, weighed down and useless. There was severing pain exploding behind her chestnut eyes as she continued to drag her feet forward unwillingly. Something was pinching her on the top of her hands and in her elbows.

* * *

The man by her bed waited patiently as his client began to show various signs of life. Her eyes were beginning to flutter open and shut, there was a heavier breathing and her heart beat was prominent in the room, the blaring noise of his machine proudly boasting her cardiac rhythm. She had been in an unconscious state for six months, although not by choice. He left the face mask off, allowing her to resurface.

"Hello, Mira," the doctor greeted her warmly, watching her from one dark eye. His hair fell over the scarred up iris. He watched the life slowly flee into her honey brown orbs, before her lip began to tremble violently, anxiety riding high in her ghostly shell of a body, memories erased and mind dark from his detestable hands. Once again he had caused desolation to become her flickering shadow, constantly lingering behind her, only vanishing with the blinding light of the sun.

"I know you," she stated flatly with a rasping, wearing voice, and then the fear began to flood into her conscious, her sympathetic nervous system telling her to tear the wires from her body and run. Fuzzily, the memories came like whip lash as Mira pieced together the final ending of her story – she had run, pumping her legs furiously after a gunshot had sounded off, catapulting herself forward into the flickering shadows of the night and dodging from building to building. Foolishly she had believed in escaping the nightmare, changing countries and living with her old family before once again, history would repeat itself. Snap shots of images flashed in her head quickly, freezing for a second before moving onto the next as she grasped the tragedy that would fly wide spread through the newspapers on the Nolan Massacre, how the horses had shrieked out in abhorrence before the barbarous teeth of fate had crunched down over their necks, her mother proud and regal had fallen by the implement of a sharp axe, beseeching her daughter in a soprano shriek to run. Tears had been free flowing down her cheeks, air ragged as she exhaled harshly in the crisp cloudless night, the celestial stars winking down at her. From the stables she had raced forward, chestnut curls bounding over her shoulders and bright, sienna eye's wide with alarm when something pulled her back, exploding pain erupted over her forehead. She had tasted metallic in her mouth, the dirt hard as she collapsed against the particles of dirt on the earth, her nails digging into the surface and glancing at meticulously shinned obsidian shoes before walking into a personal wonderland.

"Ah, well, we can't be having that," he smiled bitterly; disappointed of the vivacious strength she pitted against him and slowly slipped the mask over her face. Her hands pushed against him relentlessly as he watched her rapidly succumb to the medication, a hard lump of self-hated lodging in his throat.

"Pathetic thing…" a voice mumbled in the darkness, "Erase everything after she realized who and what she was. I don't have the patience this second time around. Oh, and Hatori, mind what you say. You better not slip up like you did with Liv. I'm very put out with how much she still remembers," Akito Sohma frowned in the background. He had his work cut out for him, erasing memories and fabricating new ones could be so….tedious.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! My plan is to get out a chapter a week, depending on my course load so look forward to Chapter Two: Confused next week.

Lady M.


	2. Chapter 2: Cruel Beginnings

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 2**: Beginnings

**Authors Note**: Alright, I lied in my last chapter saying I'd have one out ever week, seeing as this is a day late BUT that means you get two chapters this week! Thanks to all who read and those who take the special time to review! Lots of hugs and chocolate chip cookies for putting the gigantic smile on my face. Oh, and I apologize if I re-use any quotes from Unbreakable Strength. It's unintentional.

Enjoy!!!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan.

* * *

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all  
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

-Keats

The soft moisturized pressure of a cloth dabbed skillfully along her relaxed brow, stirring the pale woman of a sullen, waxy complexion from her unconscious surrender of the medications brutally shoved against her flaring nostrils the last time she had awoken. A gruff monotone lulled her into the sensational world of texture and colors, both bold and pastel with the sharp inflict of pain and the acute awareness of her surroundings and the preening hazel ocular watching her intensely for medical emergencies. The deep sense of self-loathing in Hatori Sohma could not be detected by the fawn-eyed sienna woman who blinked in obscurity, her tongue flicking out to wet her raspberry iced lips that stood out against a yellowish frail skin.

The smell of sterile cleaning sprays burned her nostrils, it was the first sensation of smell she detected, her ears pricking forward on the subtle, yet distinct rhythm of beats pulsating from the electronic machine rigged up to her heart. The clean, cotton white sheets felt creamy and smooth against her bare arms and legs, the unisex alabaster hospital gown snug, but not uncomfortable. She raised her hands in a slow movement, her body feeling pinned down by the gravitational force that held her unwillingly to this bed. After the seconds passed achingly slow and silent, she could see her ten fingers flexing, turning over her palm to see the fading scars of needles puncturing her cephalic vein. An agitated suspire escaped her marbled lips, half turning in the single cot of the pitifully plain room consisting only of the bed, the heart monitor and a sliding door. She knew two things to be true, her name was Mira Liore Nolan and no matter what the man perched on the side of her bed, patiently waiting for her to mumble an articulate jabber of panicked words and scalding expressions, all that would come out of his filthy mouth, were fabricated truths unable to support themselves with fact and proof.

The seconds measured by her steady heart beat distilled the silence in the room as her intrusive henna oculars starred him dead on, a doe walking in front of a semi and being foolish enough to brace it's rack of horns and walk away undamaged while the metallic truck rolled into a ball of flint. Her bottom lip puffed stubbornly out, her arms nestling into the sides of her body as she slipped into the warmth of the thick pristine quilt, her eyes remained guarded and distrusting on the man who wore the doctor's lab coat. She wouldn't trust the misconceived notion that a man in uniform was safe. There was the blaring signs of warning as her apathetic expression remained unchanged, giving nothing away to the rising panic and shock filtering in her head, knowing that something had happened, something colossal and she was not privy to that information when it was about her. The suspicion of her predicament heightened as he began to pace, clasping his hands behind his back as the white trail of the doctor's coat fluttered against the seam of his back pockets, a deep look of brooding concentration unsettled in his cloudy hazel eye. Although she could not remember his name, she remembered the face close up against hers with his hot breath washing over her cheek as he placed the mask against her face, her hands pushing against his built shoulders while gas infiltrated her withering, pink lungs and knocked her out. She remembered, but would not tell.

Her expression bothered Hatori, along with the refusal to speak and the adamant look of cold, distrust distinguished in her chocolate mousse eyes. He had warned Akito that he could miss memories when erasing so many distinct ones. She needed to remember coming to Japan, she needed to remember meeting the head of family and learning of her parent's death, she couldn't remember most of the two years she had spent with Shigure and the younger zodiac members. He had spent the six months of her hospitalized stay within the Sohma grounds and his personal home brainwashing and selecting various seconds of her life to cross out and re-write, creating an entirely different life for Mira Sohma. Now as she starred ruthless and defiant, the ticking bomb exploded in his head. What had he missed?

"You were in an accident," he began in a thick, wavering voice while standing on uncertain ground, uncomfortable with his ability and if in hindsight, she was recollecting or retaining something.

"I recall," her snipping expression was out of sheer aggravation, there were holes in her memory as thoughts and ideas were returning to her, a story that was missing every other page and she was dying to play connect the dots.

"It seems you had some minor damage to the hippocampus region, but you don't need to worry, you're in good hands here," his assuring, doctor tone did little to satisfy the sulking female, her openly adverse personality and surly attitude blundering him. Was this a symptom of the meticulous prodding he had done in the regions of her confidential brain? The optimistic woman who easily brought a simper to her lips and found a way to humor herself through any situation seemed barely a shadow, reminding him all too painfully of another Nolan who would have treated him in the exact same malevolent behavior.

"Why? Why am I in good hands here? Because you're a doctor I should trust you? I barely remember who I am, I can't re-call what schooling I've taken, what grades I've completed. Minor damage my ass, this is retrograde amnesia which I know the term for and yet I don't remember taking any psychology courses, so please, enlighten me doctor," she drawled out the last word sarcastically in a saucy tone, her breath labored as her body withered away from the nutrients fed through her from a tube.

"I understand this is a shock for you Mira, I assure you-"

"I'd like to leave," she cut him off instantly, her eyes flickering fleetingly to the sliding door as she grasped the concept of freedom.

"I'm sorry, you're in no condition," he began somberly, placing a hand on her shoulder that she shrugged off with a vile expression.

"I realize that. I want a hospital, and proof of medical license, I want nurses and physical therapists, I demand the right to leave," this room, and this man had the hairs on the nape of her neck standing to attention, her fingers gripping the smooth surface of the bed sheet with tense anxiety.

"That's not possible. We have all you need here but I'll gladly prove my authenticity as a doctor," he assured her in a gentle, soothing voice that did nothing to calm her.

"You're saying I'm not free to leave?" she questioned in a sharper and poignant voice than she had met, a lump of dry saliva lodged in her throat as lead seemed to drop into her stomach with the panic driving hard across her body. She. Wasn't. Free. To. Leave. In basic layman's term, she was a prisoner strapped to a single mat with coiled silver springs, susceptible to anything he chose to feed through the tubes feeding into her embodiment.

"No," he added with a weighted down voice, foreboding and heavy in the part he was to play with Mira and the flicker of terror she fluttered back with long obsidian eyelashes, "You are at the Sohma residence where you will resign. This is your home now," he impressed as he reached for the sliding door, his head angling back to glimpse at the woman sinking into the mattress, attempting to become invisible, to take herself out of her imprisoned situation.

"I'll present my medical license on our next visit," he promised while opening the door, her callous laughter and 'fuck you' reached his ears through the thinly sliding exit as he stiffly walked away.

She wanted the truth, to fill the gap of holes, the crevices and dark abyss swallowing her mind and there wasn't a damn thing that a licensed doctor could to do to stop her once she was free of the affliction and weariness tying her body to the bed, the numb sensation pinning her legs down on the mattress as she began to slowly work being able to twitch the toes on her foot. Mira Liore Nolan was nobody's prisoner. This may be a new beginning, waking up in metaphorical chains and handcuffs, but it would not be her end.


	3. Chapter 3: Familiar Coincidences

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 3**: Coincidence

**Authors Note**: Pretty fast update, no? Well, I think so! Thanks to lovely ladies who review – I get a big smile on my face whenever I open my gmail and see a review waiting for me to read! The first two chapters are rather introductory, getting the story off to a start so I'm eager to really get this thing up and moving at a nice tempo.

Enjoy!!!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan.

* * *

"For truth is always strange; stranger than fiction." – Lord Byron

The weeks passed sluggishly, day and night morphing together until Mira remained plastered to her cotton bed, eyes transfixed on the alabaster ceiling as she contemplated the nature of her situation. It wasn't so much a situation, as that meant a circumstance or place that gave her the choice of moving forward to backwards. She was irrevocably trapped, forbidden to glance back in hindsight to see the destructive path of life that had slipped through her desirable clenched fingers, and yet refusing to move forward until she understood what had been left behind in the wreckage of her life. Normalcy wasn't a key vocabulary term used in her life at the moment, if this could be considered a life. She wasn't growing, wasn't moving forward or waiting for a metamorphosis to emerge into the world as a brilliant, rainbow spectrum revealing butterfly that was free to flutter against the sweet summer sky of intense, perpetual aquamarine. Instead wooden pegs were driven into the peeling flesh of her palms, the crimson liquid sloshing around the area of penetration as it slid down her wrists and stained the pristine white cot she was nailed down to. She agitatedly suspired, blinking her intrusive, confused henna eyes at the sound of the door grinding against its frame, the quiet feet scuffling in that announced Hatori, sorry, Dr. Hatori's presence quaintly. Her pretty rose petal lips casted downward into a frown, the muscles in her face tense and concentrative on the task at hand at seeming as miserable, hostile and defiant as possible in the quiet man's presence.

"Good morning Mira," his monotonous voice ghosted over the room, as silent as the whispering winds crushing against the wall of the house that he knew she longed to feel on her bronzed skin. By now he was accustomed to her startling switch of personalities, could not find fault or blame in the way her sienna orbs flickered over him with utter loathing and disgust whenever he left and clicked the metal lock into place to keep the doors sealed. They were all locked here in some way, but he felt especially callous whenever forced to twist the cold metal key fisted tightly in his hand, far from completely understanding the severity of a punishment to lock the horse away from fresh air, rolling emerald knolls and babbling brooks.

A pierced sigh met his lackluster morning welcome, her eyes adjusting to the shaded corner of the room as she bit down on the plump flesh of her button lip, resolved to keep to her pact of silence.

"I have a favor to ask of you," his voice resounded deep in his chest with the beseeched request, the look of life fleeting in his morbid henna eye as he starred down at the bedside table cloth and set the silver glistening key down on the hard mahogany.

Unable to resist, she glanced sullenly at the hard metal of key, flashing its silver light and mocking her from the table top. She crossed her arms against her chest tightly, knowing that splendid little key would soon vanish inside Dr. Hatori's creamy lab coat pocket where she'd never set her lustful needy eyes on it again.

"You need fresh air, and I have someone to keep you company," he pressed onward, soft pleas ebbing from her thin cherry lips as the woman on bed openly scoffed in his general direction.

"But what if I sprout wings and fly away?" she quipped in quick cheeky secession, the muscles contracting in her face tighter as her heart pulsated and siphoned eagerly, god she wanted to feel the fresh air blow against her sunken in cheek deprived of sunshine, the glorious whip of winds fluttering the tattered ends of her bronze curls against her slender shoulders and positive beams of glorious light and heat gracing its presence to her. She wanted that, and damn him for knowing it.

"Medically speaking, that's impossible," he remarked dryly, the drawl of his gruff tone soothing the tension in the air as he slid the wide framed door open and gestured with a hand for her to step out.

"What's the favor?" she snapped poignantly with the question resting on her thick tongue, fumbling in her mouth for purchase of solidified confidence when Hatori had knocked her off balance with this wondrous gift of fresh air and tumbling hard land radiant with color, of slopes and lines that defined and articulated the world in its unique birth of nature.

"Come for yourself and see," he replied calmly, holding the door open with the string of beryl veins popping out along his muscular biceps as he rested against the door, the sleeves of his coat rolled up to his elbows.

* * *

"You must be joking," her baffled and startled tone at the wooden playpen set up to the side of Hatroi's house, a thick brick wall in place so she was still confined in some ways. The squabbling, red nose running infant glanced up with startling tawny eyes and a ripple of chestnut tresses. A squeal of euphoria was uttered from his plump scarlet lips as he clashed to the ground on his butt adorned in a soft fuzzy blue jumper. He wanted her to babysit?

"Just for half an hour," Hatori remarked, choosing to ignore the obvious stupor bomb shelling off of Mira as her eyes remained strained against the little gift from heaven currently sticking a multi-colored rattle in his mouth.

"Why do you have a baby?" the question popped out of her mouth before she could retract it, her eyes glaring dismally, "and I don't mean the technical terms, save me the trauma," god she did not need to have a sexually rooted conversation with a man she was cemented in her resolution to loath.

"It's a long story," he fidgeted for a moment, his eyes starring downward at the child who had Liv's eyes and thick lead dropping in his gut whenever the baby turned to look intuitively up at him. It was a very, long story.

"Right, does baby have a name?" she really didn't want to be bothered with a long story.

"Kaimu," his voice lulled gently, drawing the child's attention who glanced at him under thick rimmed eyelashes.

"I'll just call him baby," she snorted indignantly, moving o scoop the child up when Hatori placed a quick hand on her forearms, drawing her back almost roughly as she scowled. Did he honestly think she was going to drop him?

"Sorry, Kaimu is sick, and your immune system is frail, it's best to keep a distance. Just call me if he begins to fuss," Hatori remarked in his broad, unimpressionable voice. It was the tone he used when covering up the lies he installed in the fragile human mind, it was a voice he knew Mira was beginning to recognize with her entire life consisted of paper thin lies, a house of cards ready to blow over with the softest of breaths.

"Oh, he's not a zodiac," she shrugged her taunt shoulders, the knowledge deeply installed in her mind so when she had first flickered her eyes open it hadn't stunned or shocked her, a simple acknowledgement that it felt she had carried since birth, like knowing what her hair or eye color was. She slanted her henna eyes darkly over at him, her lips pushed together in distrust. "Why didn't you just tell me that?"

His mind froze at the words, silently cursing himself for the slip up. He had warned Akito that this would happen, she'd catch on to the years of her life missing, the dark gaping hole not clearly pierced together and that this wasn't the first time she had fumbled without memories. Even he was confusing himself, forgetting that this round Akito had firmly desired for her to remember her heritage and the legend of the curse, to know what her part was to play while he was forced to plug holes in her brain. "I thought you may still be sensitive to bringing up the curse," he clumsily tripped over the words, feeling far from agile in his twisted weaving web of lies.

"Amusingly enough, I'm okay with that part," she bitterly snapped, her voice causing the baby to scrounge up its blubbery face and slam his fists against the safety play pen.

"Like I said, it will only be for half an hour," he promised quickly, ignoring the stab of affliction heavy in her voice as he slipped through the door.

* * *

It took only five minutes for Kaimu to scrunch his face up and begin to wail, his cries reverberating through the concealed garden as Mira groaned inwardly, sitting rigidly against the wooden bench propped up against the wall of his house. She attempted various methods of quieting the ankle biter down, rattling a toy, squeaking a fluffy brown dog and lulling him gently with the coo of her voice that wasn't the correct pitch for the few songs she remembered. As his wails continued to penetrate her ears, she huffed out aggravated with the loss of patience, pushing her body up from the bench and crossing to the playpen where she rested her hands against the soft fabric rim. "I get it, you want daddy. Fine." She snapped, the baby's cries pitching louder as he tossed his fisted hands into the hair and started to really wail.

She muttered incoherent words as she shifted silently through the sliding door, her movements muffled out by Kaimu's intent desire to have his father back and replace the lousy babysitter who sang out dated and badly pitched songs. Hell, she didn't blame the kid. He wanted quality and she was a wreck. Moving through Hatori's house gave her a first glimpse of the man behind the white lab coat, the lack of pictures and mementoes making her think he was a desolate man. That was until she found a gold rimmed photograph placed on the kitchen table, an ethereal woman smirking through the frame boldly with a slash of crimson lips and dark obsidian eyelashes that fluttered over her tawny oculars. She had her hair sheared off at the shoulders, an interesting mixture of tawny and crimson that fitted with her bronze complexion, giving her an exotic beauty to be envied by the type of females forsaken to mousy doe eyes and limp chestnut curls that dragged down their backs. Some people had all the luck. Mira scoffed as the screeches from the garden intensified, her feet once again prodding against the bare wooden floor, the simple v-neck of her t-shirt fluttering with the movement as she passed through rooms, her henna eyes discouraged. If the bastard left her alone in a house with a baby she couldn't even pick up she was going to return to the kitchen, lift a knife and break out of this god forsaken place without a losing a wink of sleep knowing she had abandoned a screaming helpless infant. Actually, the knife idea wasn't half bad. She backtracked to the kitchen softly, shifting through the drawer of kitchen utensils, the silver gleam of metal catching her eye as she picked up a small steak knife and slid it nimbly against her ankle, the dark denim jeans concealing the weapon she'd use in the glorified moment of obtaining her freedom. Loud voices had her jumping, contritely sealing the kitchen drawer closed before moving away from the kitchen with her eyes flashing guilty. Mira slowed her tempo through the hallway, her feet padding softly against the planks of wood as she pressed her ear against the sliding paper thin door to listen in on the heated conversation.

"He's getting weaker, Hatori. Let's take Kaimu and leave!"

"What about Kaito? We can't forsake one for the other! I won't leave one of mine behind."

"We're fortunate enough that Kaimu wasn't cursed, why should both be punished when one will suffice? I don't like it either Hatori but my skin crawls every time that man touches me and I miss you. I love you. I want to be with you, we can escape this fucking hell hole."

"Akito would find us, just like he did the first time. It won't work Liv. You shouldn't have come; you're not allowed to leave the main house."

"What can he possibly do that he hasn't already done? I won't tremble in the shadows and slink in fear like everyone else. That bastard thinks he's won, having all the zodiac finally living his eternal banquet but we still have some say over our future. Please Hatori, it will take five minutes for you to pack and for us to leave. Please."

"Liv…"

"Don't you dare give me that tone, that childish chiding. I am not a child," her words came out in a huff as she placed her hands onto his chest, pushing him back from her body that he had his large palms clamped enduringly around her hypnotized hips, the mark of lips still scarlet in evidence along her slender neck from the first minute of their tender greeting. She so rarely escaped to see Hatori, Akito was continually attempting to place restrictions on her. It had been a miracle enough to convince the maid to take Kaimu when she had bore twins and sneak him out to Hatori, the astute twin, the one without the curse as Kaito was left to carry the sins of his family alone.

"We have to be reasonable Liv," he beseeched her gently, reaching out to cup her cheek tenderly before feeling the quick slap of her palm against his cheek.

The fire was evident and hot in her hostile eyes as she reared back and whipped around with a snarling mouth, "Fuck reason. What good has come from it?" she questioned bitterly, her voice dripping in sarcasm and tinged tenebrously as she gripped the sliding door and slammed it open, nearly smacking into a woman obviously eavesdropping at the door. She skidded back, startled before wiping her head at Hatori. Her eyes narrowing to become dark and beady at the clandestine person he had been hiding here. "What's she doing here?"

"You know why Mira is here, Liv," he remarked dryly, his eyes pinching closed shut to pretend this situation was not happening. Liv had been completely erased from Mira's memory; Akito hadn't wanted their strong bond affective or lasting in any way.

"Sorry, I see I'm interrupting something. Your child is screaming his bloody head off, I'll just lock myself in my room," she saucily snapped before rotating on her heels and stomping forward. This place was ruining her already deteriorated mental health, the statement was only strengthened when she passed a calendar and noted the year was off. She quickened her rushed pace across the kitchen as she eyed the photograph of the woman, noting for the first time the stark resemblance of an aristocratic straight nose, high defined cheek bones, a broad forehead and slight widow's peak to the way their lips both curved upward and the crinkles appeared around their eyes when it was a true smile compared to a falsified one. A coincidence, it was a bloody coincidence. She needed to find a way out of this strange dimension, barely even considered part of this world – and the sooner, the better.

"And I'll just return to my husband who will most likely break my skull in when he realizes I've been missing. Bye darling," she drawled the last word through gritted teeth, fleeing in the other direction to leave a distraught Hatori.


	4. Chapter 4: Dangerous Discoveries

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 4**: Discovery

**Authors Note**: Something fun I've decided to do, if you haven't noticed each chapter is a word going in alphabetical order, and I'm going to continue that, but I'm also going to include the definition of the word (it's a bit lame for this chapter) in my clever little layout for the story (I think it's clever anyway) and it will be a defining element in the chapter. Hopefully I don't run out of words, I expect this story to be somewhat around the length of Unbreakable Strength as –insert evil laughter- I haven't even started the fun yet ;)

OH. I would like to mention a little detail. In the matter of the curse it is LOOSELY based off the manga/anime, because I was never happy with how ambiguous it was, so well I've kept to the true heart of the curse, many, many things are about to occur that you'll have to bear with me through. Don't worry, it'll be fun! Well, for me at least.

ENJOY!!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan.

_Discovery - _the act or an instance of discovering. (no duh)

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"Know thyself?" If I knew myself, I'd run away. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

She wanted to float in the nothingness that existed of the Cimmerian chasm of her brain, the slumbering existence that was neither here nor there, where historian memories of her yesterdays and dismal outlooks of her future tomorrows blended into a fragment of moments, where nothing existed except the palpitation of a struggling heart beat over the weight of lead in her stomach and the hiss of breath slipping past the rise and fall of her chest through parted satin lips of marbled cherry. Only in the weightless existence did the questions chiseling away at Mira cease, the tranquility of switching her mind off from the current predicament and problematic life she had been thrust into disagreeable with her yearning spirit to break free from the invisible chains that tied her to this earth and the seeable gold lock that glinted and mocked her throughout the trying days. She wanted peace and adventure, wanted knowledge and ignorance, needed truth yet preferred the safety of lies. Perhaps she didn't know what she wanted, comforted by the lack of existence in giving in to the empty darkness that soothed her soul and rested her mind and yet terrified to allow herself to fully submerge in the sea of lies, the crash of turbulent waves knocking her over her head as her pockets filled with smooth alabaster granite rocks and dragged her lithe struggling form to crash against the sandy bottom, her body creating a dust cloud to whirl around her floating ligaments giving up on the pressure and gravity drawing her into a center. She was like a star, brilliant and glowing vibrantly until her final moment when she finally caved away and ate at her own energy, devouring her core and flickering out of existence into a hollow, cold shell of a life that no longer flickered and turned on. The days passed with this non-existent existence, a hellion lifeline of the cruelest contradictions, to hear the wind flutter outside the paper thin walls but not feel the ghostly fingers caress her cheek, the jovial filtering rays of sunlight cascaded along the cotton taffeta sheets wrinkled around her violently moving body in the lingering mornings when she wrestled and gripped with the amount of endless time presented to her, but could not feel the warmth of a kiss perched upon her brow. She wanted to dance in the rain, count the stars and watch the clouds pass by, every clique human desire that foolish children lumbered around and partook in, moments that as adults were reminisced with the somber affliction that there was no longer time to lounge about on grassy rolls of emerald and count the shooting stars or dip their pallid waxy feet into the babbling brooks and wait for the nibble of eager fish along their petal pink colored toes. Jealousy rammed her hard in the chest, the exposed tilt of a barbarous edged knife slamming into her pulsating heart at the naïve adults who whined about missing the simplicity of childhood when the only strings restraining themselves from walking out door and partaking in the meteor showers and cascade of tear drops from the weeping grey clouds were their own insecurities and restrictions. They had the power to take up the silver glint of the scissors, to shear off the ties that held their struggling feathery wings to the ground where as she was trapped, asphyxiated by the golden lock glimmering in teasing tyranny. Mira struggled up from the weighted sheets scrunched up along her trim waist, swinging her feet over to plant them against the hard wooden floor that distorted her mousy eyed reflection, drained and dehydrated from drinking in the juices of the sun. She had sunken in features from turning her nose against the food Hatori offered, fragile bones that would snap like a twig with the lack of protein, her stomach growling in fierce protest at the war she was silently raging between her body and mind. The knock of a callous fist and pointed knuckles twisted her lips into scrutiny, her silence adamant. If they were going to treat her like a corpse, a person passed away and no longer able to command control of where their body was placed in the bland walls of her prison cell, then she would act like a bloody skeleton and turn herself into one until her demands were met, her rights achieved and her hunger for freedom satisfied. The strike of stubborn indignation was all that festered and rotted away in her lead stomach, the only power she could excess as Hatori pleaded with her to strengthen her body, frightened by her sudden desperate turns to force her freedom. He didn't understand where her new fondness with starvation had come from, why now after days and not immediately had she fallen into a state of irreversible melancholy and malady. Her knife had not twisted open the lock, her fists could not break down the walls, her voice could not penetrate the fresh outside for a kind soul to come from hindsight as a daring prince to save the locked away princess. It was up to the resourceful woman to use whatever mentions to sanction prosperity, all Mira had was the leverage of her withering body.

"Mira.." Hatori treaded lightly as he paced into the single room, his eyes locking on the woman who sat rigid backed on the cot, her eyes void of affections or emotions ghosting past him as she continued to blink forward against the wall. There were no medical reasons for her to behave, his fears appealed to Akito that she was adamant to be given fresh air and to deny her continually would possibly kill her.

"Mira, would you like to go outside again?" he asked somberly, running a tired hand through his staggering henna locks in frustrations, "Mira, you have to answer to me if you do."

"Are you sure I won't attempt to jump the eight foot brick wall?" she remarked saucily, shifting through the moist alabaster sheets clinging to the weakened state of her fumbling legs.

"The door will remain unlocked from now on," he promised, his throat sticking together and causing his voice to become horse as he moved from the doorway and left the room, unable to stand the sight of the sickened woman.

Freedom, it was sweeter than the juiciest peaches, more beautiful than a bed of prime scarlet roses that had her rising on her tip toes, her obsidian eyelashes fluttering against the sunken in bone of her cheeks and inhaling the fresh air that was trapped between her greedy pallid lips. She stretched her limber arms weighed down with the heaviness of her past immobilized state, digging her toes into the blades of viridian grass that tickled the pads of her bare feet planted against cool, moist earthy surface. She leaned her head back, dark tresses of mahogany curling against her slender back while her eyes remained transfixed at the smooth surface of a summer blue sky.

"Will you eat now?" an amused voice rang from behind, startling Mira as she whirled around on her bare feet, the soft cloth of ruby flashing around her narrow waist and slender hips in the hasty movement.

"I got what I wanted," she remarked defiantly against the entertained expression of a blonde haired boy swinging his legs next to the babies play pen, Hatori resting against the side of the building in indifference. As the boy chuckled gently and swung his legs out from under the deck to land nimbly in an agile straight line and stalked forward, Mira's legs tumbled backwards, matching his pace for pace while he continued to stare at her.

"What's wrong Mira? You used to like me," he pouted, his eyes turning childish as he turned his head for the quick approval of Hatori before smirking back at Mira.

"I…did?" she remarked slowly, her lips pursing out in passing judgment on the young man with the tumble of tawny locks. He was quite handsome, then again, must be the Sohma genetics.

"Sure, we used to play all the time!"

"Right…Fine, whatever, what's your name?" she remarked casually, eyes shifting in apprehension as she flopped into the inviting patch of shade cast off by the restless cherry trees shifting through the claws of winds that tugged and pulled their luscious branches towards the south.

"Momiji," he remarked enthusiastically, joy sparkling in his flaxen eyes while sinking to the ground next to Mira. He missed the way she had always defend him against Liv and the life sparking at Shigure's house that now was left barren and empty, only the whisper of lingering souls and haunting ghosts to speak against the pallid walls that remained fruitless of furniture.

"Okay, well, I'm…Mira," she remarked lamely, offering her hand when the young man already knew who she was. Having a person's memory erased was exhausting, how was she supposed to act around people who had pre-conceived notions when she had neither fondness nor memory of the woman she had been? Perhaps she had laughed more, she certainly hadn't since entering this house. Did she enjoy company? Was she talented at telling jokes or helping a friend? Was she the person who stopped to keep a door open or allow it to slam in the face of a struggling stranger? Where were the tabulating details that made her into a functional member of society, the card-board cut out questions anyone could answer without thinking? What was her favorite color, her favorite animal? Her mind toiled away on the question while Momiji pleasantly chattered away, reminding Mira of a squirrel who shoved one too many chestnuts into his mouth and continued to drone on in squeaking chit-chat. As she laced her fingers together and lean against the worn surface of the cherry tree, her mind unraveled the two questions she had focused on, purple and horses. It wasn't overly profound nor insightful, but a tiny spec of Mira felt re-instated in her hardened and callous body hollow of all remains. A bit of her was put into place that graced a tiny smile on her face.

"Were we good friends, Momiji?" she asked silently, locking her beseeching sienna eyes on the young man who nodded his head so violently she was slightly concerned it would roll right off his neck, or at the very least cause quite a headache.

"Very!" he exclaimed positively, tossing his flailing arms around the emptied woman to brush a bit of his warmth and lighten the load on her stone heart, his arms falling around her waist when a loud crack as threatening as thunder roared life into the quaint backyard, the screams of a fussy child wailing across the grassy lawn as Mira was knocked back, the floppy furry body of a tawny rabbit seated on her lap with a chagrin expression and a rigid body of shock.

Mira's eye sharpened as she held the bunny out, sheer outrage sparking in her eyes as she shuffled up from the ground, dropping Momiji into the grass harshly. "I'm not cursed…" she trailed off darkly, her eyes lighting up with the fighting spirit that had always been present in her as she whipped her legs around the furry critter and marched past the teary eyes child sobbing into the pastel blue blanket. She reached out tentatively before grabbing the child around the thick waist, bringing him to her eyesight, her stomach churning as she sat the sniveling baby down before stomping into the house and stalking through the rooms without care of coincidence nor knowledge of where she was heading. There was no curse sentenced upon her, no ties that kept her grounded to the Sohma family as she worked out how to survive in the world. There was no need to fear of changing into a rampant animal that would cause confusion among the people of Japan, because she was not cursed. She. Was. Not. Cursed. The reasoning did not matter; answers would be discovered after her escape.

All she knew was she was getting the fuck out of here.


	5. Chapter 5: Empowered Escape

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 5**: Empower

**Authors Note**: Well, I think it's time to pick up the tempo of this little story now that I've had my fun with the big revelation of Mira being freed from the zodiac curse. I'd also like to take a moment to suggest for anyone looking for a good story _The Diary, The lie and The curse_, I don't do recommendations often, and I don't do them because an author asks but ElusiveSerenade's is worth mentioning. I sincerely apologize for the unacknowledged hiatus that occurred – it was not planned on my part, spring break traveling and midterms took me away from my darling Mira and Liv who were not happy about being forgotten for so long. Hopefully my dear readers are not waiting with pitch forks and flaming torches to murder the thoughtless writer who took so long for this chapter to get out.

ENJOY!!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan.

_empower- _to enable or permit

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"All great changes are preceded by chaos," – Deepak Chopra

The moonlight bathed her in its gliding celestial light, descending upon her taunt and tightened shoulders of anxious nerves riddled within her core of flesh and squirming blood that pounded in her ears, the fleeting terror and exhilaration contained in her moody wild eyes to slip through the festering shadows slanting against the cardboard houses of the Sohma Estate sending shivers racing up the curvature of her spine. They, in their narrow filled houses and illusionary safety were far more dammed, far more in harm's way to be grappled by the hellion hands of Satan than Mira was. This night was her night, to take back the freedom hat had been stolen by her white knuckled grip. She was getting out tonight, rustling in the foliage of ecru branches and bristle of emerald leafs that hung in her face and were tangled up in the brown knots of hair plastered against the nape of her neck as she crawled along the iron clad wall, the defensive barrier that kept her in, and society out. Only the stars winked on in favor, intrigued by her swarthy stalking glide with her shoulders hunched against the cold coble stone wall that she would be ridden from her sight for an eternity and longer. The dazzling clumps of star dust looked on in amazement, the only cheering crowd that would remain witness to her plights and attempt at breaking down the walls that held her in with her mere two hands. The ground sunk beneath her obsidian shoes, specs of dirt corroding the soles and staining her knees as she kept low to the moisturized soggy soil where the worms and the maggots wriggled in their cool earthy homes. Her breath swirled from her pallid rose lips, vaporizing before her terrified henna eyes, the thump of her heart beating in protest louder by the second she remained frozen crouched low in the dirt and swaying branches. Nagging thoughts hindered her swift movement forward, cementing her to the cold position as questions painted doubts of grey in her mind. Where would she go once she escaped? How would she make a living for herself? Would she be more lonely surrounded by strangers with her freedom than the uncomfortable contact she had with a few of the sohmas? These mortal questions of human nature restrained her, crippled the muscle in her legs as time ticked forward. The door had been broken off the silver squeaking hinges with the glint of her barbarous knife, there was no turning back. The fears that asphyxiated her would be dealt with in time, the fear of being a stranger to the world could not be her rational answer for trembling back on hands and knees to grovel at the stony faces of the sohmas. She would move forward. She had to move forward.

Dashing from one low branch to the next, her mossy chestnut eyes flickered out, the two pools of white reflecting light in the darkness as she gripped in her palm the ebony plastic handle of the kitchen knife. Her breath came in hushed heaves as she searched for a part in the foliage outlining the intimidating wall separating her from all the wildest dreams that she could nearly taste on the tip of her tongue. No outline of a gate but the grandiose front entrance glittered under the luminescent stars; the impossible feat of escaping seemed to dismally grip her. This was impossible. Her back hit the trunk of the rough bark of the tree as she slid down to hit her knees against the ground, her hands wiping the plastered chestnut locks of hair against her sweaty forehead. Dawn would break soon, but it would hold no treasure of the morning sun for her. The Sohmas would find her, they would lock her up and toss away the key without a backwards glance if she didn't become…inventive. Perhaps there was a tree she could scale up or a roof close enough to the wall that she could take the chance and…jump. A woman could still drag herself with a broken leg, right? It was better than giving up. She gripped her fingers into tight fists out of defiance, sucking the breath back into her laboring chest and rocking up to her feet, her eyes tracing the lumbering buildings and selecting the one closet to the wall. There was one three feet away, her doubts rose to the point of bubbling like indigestion in her stomach. But she had to try. Each footstep towards the death defying act pounded in her ears, the rush of turbulent blood slapping across her veins in utter protest at the dangerous stunt she would likely die committing. The one story house's roof would barely meet the wall, she only had to lunge far enough to either grip the wall and pull herself up or over shoot it and land on the other side, where if God was winking down at her she'd find the cozy break of bushes to stop her from smacking her head into the ground. Please, Please let there be bushes on the other side. She gripped the edge of the window, hauling her knee to rest against the windowsill while her fingers grabbed the outer sienna rim of the roof when a dark shadow danced across the lazily lit ground by the stars. Her heart dropped like lead through her gut as she slipped from the side of the building, nimbly landing on her feet as she staged forward. Pathetic, she barely lasted half an hour attempting to escape and already the dogs were out on her. Fucking pathetic. Her palms sweated as she numbly retreated, the shadow of a person flickering until the shake of the bushes had her nerves spiking. With her eyes narrowing in dreading anticipation, she noticed now the brush was trampled next to the wall, her body carefully treading forward as she leaned down to peak through the towering fern. A large enough entrance for a body to fit through had been carved out of the wall, the Achilles' ankle existed in the Sohma's barriers. For a moment she forgot herself, a loud cheer of exuberance slipping thoughtlessly from her pallid lips and blushing cheeks in the moment, reaching forward to place her hand on the outside of the wall, to feel the breeze that trickled through and see how the night sky changed and shimmered from glancing at it through the hole. Her fingers dug into the moist soil outside, her knees dragging against the dirt as she headed quickly to the other side. She was nearly out, the fresh air hitting her cheeks when something grabbed her ankle and gave a harsh pull. Her stomach slammed against the ground and her fingers instantly pried into the earth as she was dragged out and flipped onto her back. Mira glanced upwards in fright, starring into mixed emotional orbs of curiosity and fury.

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Liv had woken from a woman's cheer, the laughter sweetly singing in the air as she rolled out of bed and glanced out the small crafted window to see a trim woman in muddy jeans and a black long sleeved shirt with a hole across the shoulder diving under the brush. She had grabbed the silver key, stealing out from under akito's nose as she did most nights to feel the wind in her hair and breathe in the pristine air not smothered by his presence. She told herself she didn't give a damn that Mira was escaping so easily, not having a clue on what Liv had suffered and sacrificed for her sister. Hell, the woman didn't even know they were twins, kin by blood and sisters by heart. She stole closer only to feel a shadow of the exhilaration Mira was feeling, to hold some emotion besides the feeling of being dragged under water and flogged. As the woman slipped away, fear had struck her like an anvil and she had grabbed her ankle to yank her back. Liv needed her sister, her friend and companion who she had trusted in the final weeks before Mana installed fear in the hearts of the zodiac, before they had all been locked away. "Where are you going?" she hissed out quietly, the hot air puffing from her red chins as the wind nipped her.

Time stopped for a moment as Mira wheezed out from her body slamming against the ground, she glared out ruefully under the low branches that shaded her face, "Where do you think I'm going? Out, obviously," she retorted, swiping at the branches that tickled her forehead as she shoved her elbows to rise her up from the hard ground.

She sneered at the sarcasm, recalling in the back of her mind how the protective words had once been her guard against people wanting to get closer to her. "They'll find you and make it a hundred times worse," she warned darkly, dropping Mira's ankle. If the woman wanted to bring hell upon her head, Liv wouldn't stop her. There was nothing more she could do to protect Mira.

"Over my dead body," Mira replied thickly, the sharp glint in her eye making it more than an idle protest. She wouldn't go without a fight to protect a right that she deserved on the principle of being a human being. They had no right to hold her here, these Sohma's with their money and status. She'd bring it all over their heads by the time she was through with them, revenge would be sweet and tangible once she figured out what to use to destroy Akito Sohma. Her irate hatred against the man terrified her at times, the root of it coming from something unknown and sublime. It wasn't just her freedom, but a missing part in her chest, a gasping hole of her shivering heart that intuitively told her Akito had taken much more than open skies and the dip of the wide lands from her. "I don't know who you are, but if you try and stop me, you should know I won't go down easily," Mira warned as she tightened her hand against the pack pocket of her jeans, the handle of the knife glossy against her finger tips.

"Please, I'd rather go with you," Liv muttered before she could wrangle in her thoughts. The truth was a stab in her gut, tears sparkling in the corner of her tawny eyes as she gasped at the truth. She quickly looked away from the passion Mira had always grasped with, the jealousy that ran through her veins that she had always been the rational thinking one, the woman who didn't take chances but played by the rules for the safety of others. Mira didn't give a damn what trigger this would set off, and she quite admired that selfishness, because if she had had a teaspoon of the moxie that Mira had, she would flee with her.

"Wouldn't you miss your smoldering affair here?" Mira questioned, the accusing tone cheeky as she smirked from the underbrush with her fingers caressing the safe guard of the knife.

Liv shot an eye brow up as she silently seethed, stepping back and resisting the violent shove the truth in Mira's eyes, stunned and shocked by the snippy tone. "You have no idea what I've gone through, what I've done for you!" she hissed while edging away.

Fury riveted Mira as she starred back at the woman, the woman who held answers from her. "No, because they experimented on my fucking brain like some lab rat! I don't even know who I am, so why would I know what you've done for me? Really, if you have something you want to tell me, please do. Enlighten me Liv – what have you gone through? What ties you here when you weren't kept in by locked doors?" she wanted answers damn it, she deserved them. She needed to understand the affliction that stole her breath, the terror that gripped her in the nights and why she woke at times with tears staining her pillow. Why did she feel so inadequate, as if a limb was missing from her body? If she was too carry the burden of the despairing sorrow, she at least wanted to understand where it came from!

She ordered herself to calm down before she exploded. Liv soothed a hand through her honey brown and reddish locks, inhaling cautiously. "You're not the only one in a cage," she reminded, tossing a silver key that Mira barely caught in the clasp of her hands. "I was given this by a friend long ago; it's how I manage to escape from…him. You wouldn't understand why I stay," she sniffled then, wiping one tear from her cheek that had slid under her radar. Tears was the symbol of weakness, it was forbidden to show how this life wore her down, the violent demands from Akito, the lies to Hatori, the love for her _only_ child that Hatori watched over. She was sewed with secrets, dark ones, haunting ones, and the kind that brought a shiver to the spine and a shock to the eyes that humanity could be so barbaric and cruel.

"Try me," Mira whispered from the shadows, her face half hidden as she propelled herself up farther against her elbows to hand the key back to Liv.

Liv clutched the silver piece of heaven in her fingers, her lips frozen tightly against each other to form a white night, "I'm not like you…" she whispered, the memory of when she had attempted to escape long ago still carried an ache in her heart and the punishment for her sin in Akito's unforgiving, relentless eyes.

Mira chuckled, the warmth of the laughter spreading all the way to Liv as she eyed the woman, "How can you possibly know that? I don't even know what I'm like. I bet you could leave if you really wanted to. I don't fancy traveling alone and you know me – deny it if you want, but it will be a lie."

She looked back fleetingly on the house, her fingers trembling as she considered leaving Hatori and their child behind. She only lived and breathed for the days that she could slip away to visit them both, her heart trilling in anxiety as she glanced back at the eager expression on Mira's face – an old expression of the old Mira. "I…"

"You'll see them again," Mira urged, reaching up her hand to grab Liv's, "And you can have the picture perfect future you imagined, white fences, golden retriever, bickering over what color to paint the living room or how he doesn't take out the trash."

As soon as Mira's fingers gripped Livs, the inner battle was over, her hand clutching her sisters as she glanced back one last time before being pulled onto the other side of the wall. She felt like Alice in Wonderland, expecting the roses to come to live as they travelled through the rising dawn, that golden sun optimistically glittering on the horizon as Liv bounded behind her, keeping stride in perfect cantor as she walked away from the Sohma estate – her thoughts remaining steadfast on Hatori and Kaimu.


	6. Chapter 6: Second Chances

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 6**: Friendship

**Authors Note**: Sorry for the wait on this chapter! A bit better than the last one though… -shifty eyes- damn you college professors with your busywork. Anyways, that's my ranting for the moment. I hope you enjoy this chapter based on our favorite childhood lesson; friendship. ;)

ENJOY!!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan.

_friendship- _a friendly relation or intimacy

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"A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably. ~William Penn"

The mindless chatter of pedestrians with their colorful array of vibrant jackets put Mira at ease, the lulling sound of children whining for sweeties, a mother's sigh into resignation and the angry snarl of cars streaming past had her heart light and airy in comparison to the drowning sensation that had filled her for the past months, the lost sense of despair as she faced fence after fence, and cage after cage. Here was proof of humanity, with the six year old boy running past her in streaming tears holding up a broken ice cream cone, the healthy wail of a baby and the constant shrill voices of female shoppers comparing price tags from expensive, ostentatious stores that would fulfill their every fantasy. The world had exploded in bright, expandable color like the spectrum of a rainbow after treading through ankle deep muck and ducking low reaching branches resembling the skeletal claws of Akito Sohma. She was free, and that sense exhilarated her as she skipped lightly in place, grinning without restraint as the world moved around her, no longer crashing down in the middle.

"Stop grinning," Liv grimaced as she sent one seething expression at the everything is 'okie dokie' expression her sister dared to wear on the streets. She held the folded up map in a tense, rigid grasp, the papers crinkling around her clutched fingers as Mira continued to point and murmur in awe at the sounds and sights of the street. Shit it was like she was with a two year old.

"I can't help it Liv, you could do with some smiling yourself. We're out, this is it. This is our time. Stop frowning and enjoy the bliss of escape," Mira advised with a teasing wink, snatching the map and glancing at the squiggly colored lines resembling roads and rivers. Her lips twisted into a frown as she continued to focus tightly on the map, her eyes narrowing and her eyebrows furrowed.

"I can't read a bloody thing," she huffed, remaining frustrated until Liv silently reached over and twisted the map around to face up. Her pallid lips formed a sheepish 'O' as she handed the map back to Liv's waiting hand held out in her face.

"Just one more shred of evidence that you're going to be the death of me," Liv remarked without the heavy trepidation lacing her tone as she folded the instructional papers and tucked it back into her jeans pocket, her eyes narrowing on the road. "You do have a plan, right? Something thought up?" abhorrence was in every word as she glanced with slight anxiety at a woman who couldn't even read a map. Hell, at least realizing it had been upside down would have been a start.

Mira scoffed once, giving an insulted frown before tossing her arm over Liv's shoulders, "Relax. I happen to have a great plan. We're going to get jobs. That way we can support ourselves financially, and make acquaintances so if Akito does try to take us away again, witnesses will see. Brilliant, right?"

"No." Liv scowled darkly ahead, shrugging Mira's hand from her shoulders. "First off, you don't just decide to get a job. You need marketable skills – which, you don't have. Second, I don't like people," two damaging faults in Mira's plan and already she was nursing a growing headache. This was going to be an apocalyptical mistake, what had she been thinking in the moment of taking Mira's hand and attempting to chase moonbeams and stardust? Escape was a fanciful dream, she had known that from her first attempt at living some fantasy dream of a child's, thinking she could leave with the man she loved and escape the consequences. Her idiot idealism would come crashing over her head like torrent winds spinning collectively around her, spinning closer and closer until all the air was stolen from her lungs and each painful wheeze would lacerate the quivering lungs and send her falling to her knees in regret and humble acceptance of a god's power. They couldn't run far enough, and certainly not fast enough to keep one step ahead of an intelligent and conniving man. She had seen that hand in a desperate moment as a glorious sign, to be freed of the asphyxiating darkness, believing light to be at the end of that hand when all she was going to find was an eternal chasm of nothingness.

Ignorant of the plague of thoughts seizing Liv, Mira dashed ahead with the same euphoric grin tugging her cheery lips across the sharp poignant bone structure of her face, her fingers reaching out once to clasp her sisters forearm and haul her in front of a blaring fire hydrant red hiring sign in front of a quaint diner. "Told you we'd find a job," she snipped proudly, grasping the brass knuckled door of a two story diner with large bay windows, a cheerful bells sounded off as she opened the raspberry colored door open, the mahogany floor polished with the sweet scent of oak. All the tables remained aligned with fine silverware, the wooden gleam of a tabletop shimmering as beautifully as the gorgeous wooden floor under Mira's mucky ebony shoes. The restaurant reached far back where a door had a private sign hung up. Several booths occupied the full side of glossy windows with the clear reflection of cherry blossoms blooming in tasteful, decorative pots on each table.

"Seriously?" Liv remarked with a squint of her critical eyes at the soft dim of lights radiating and the old fashioned cash register.

"I think it's nice," Mira retorted defensively, glaring her mocha eyes before sashaying over to the counter. Leaning up against the crafted bar she gave the bell against the register a quick tap before sending a wolfish smirk to Liv, confidently prepared to wrangle two jobs from any man or woman who would step out behind the cheerful canary yellow curtains blocking the kitchen.

The metal rings of the curtain clanked against the bar reaching across the threshold as a younger woman in her twenties stepped out, her reddish locks tied in a neat bun against the nape of her neck with traces of powdery white flour marked roughly on her cheeks and tasteful black apron with the diner's logo of a happily dancing roll holding a knife and fork, the woman's name scribbled in fancy script underneath in silver; Vivie. "What can I do for you darling?" she spoke in the dialogue of a thick French accent, swiping the flour off her cheeks to reveal a splatter of freckles dusted across the bridge of her nose with the curve of her red ruby lips.

"We noticed your hiring sign," Mira replied with a flutter of her obsidian eyelashes, glancing at the place hopefully before waving Liv over. "Ah, we're in a bit of a pinch and could really use a bit of kindness. Plus, I boil a mean cup of tea and Liv here, well, Kids love her. Ain't that right Livy? She's customer satisfaction guaranteed! I'm telling you, Liv loves a challenging customer, she never fails to deliver a smile."

Liv snapped her jaw tightly as she glanced irately as Mira blundered forward, swiping at the kind hand she tried to place on her shoulder. If she was going to play the home making fool, she wasn't going to go around whistling show tunes about it. She smiled grisly as she nodded, almost painfully, to the dark accusations Mira made under her name. "Sure."

"See? What just like I said, that sure was so positive and light I'm nearly blinded by the warmth of it," Mira snickered, giving a charming smirk before patting Liv's shoulder and glancing hopefully at Vivie who was wearing a vibrant smile.

Her hands clapped together with enthusiasm, "Wonderful. We've got a few spots open and if you girls are looking for a place to rent the upstairs is cleared out. I remodeled it myself, you'll love it."

"I bet we will Vivie," Mira retorted with a grin, catching a pair of silver keys flashing at her quickly with a look of desire in her eyes. Keys, they opened doors – that was for sure. She dangled the pair in front of Liv's face, smirking victoriously as Vivie quickly stepped around the bar to lead them through the door marked private, a pair of rickety stairs leading to the second floor.

"This should be good," Liv remarked dryly from behind, ignoring the quick warning glare from Mira as she thumped against the wooden stairs, bringing up the rear without much enthusiasm as Vivie spoke quickly, her teeth trilling against each other as she revealed the rooms to boldly stated in ceruleans, vibrant crimson, indigos and summer sunshine with neon greens and royal purple hues. She held in her breath and counted to ten as Vivie fluttered down stairs at the sound of a bell ringing shrilly. "No way." She remarked hastily, nearly barring her fangs as Mira grinned, slipped off her shoes and plunked down on a fuchsia couch. Who the hell would make a couch that color? "Seriously, get up."

Mira snorted from the couch, finding it quite comfortably as she flung her arms out and grinned, "Oh give it a chance. You won't go blind from color, Liv. It's nice, she's friendly and the pay is great for two girls with no experience and no references. I had to feed her some bogus story about how you lost all our information when traveling from America to Japan to escape the oil companies after you chained yourself to a tree – Vivie is all about global warming and saving our world. I think you two will be great friends."

For a moment Liv only sputtered, her barbarous teeth gleaming as she snarled and hissed, pacing against the black and white tiles in the kitchen, "Haha, now what story did you give her because I sure as hell can't pull off being a tree hugger."

"That's the story, start hugging," Mira advised with a Cheshire Cat grin, "because I'm growing fond of this bubblegum pink couch." Her sienna eyes danced merrily as Liv sighed heavily before storming over to sink into the couch, nearly folding into the plush cushions.

She swore once, glaring bitterly until Mira offered her hand to pull her out from the gaping, hungry couch threatening to swallow her hole. She clung to the woman's fingers a moment longer, the soft cough Mira let out had Liv dropping them as if she had been burned, her usual apathetic expression hardening as she shuffled up from the couch and made a silent oath as she shifted away, forgetting how dangerous taking Mira's hand was. It made her feel tied down to something, to family that could pull her out from under the dangerous tides of capsizing waters, like she was no longer drowning.


	7. Chapter 7: Who Am I?

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 6**: Who Am I?

**Authors Note**: Okay, so, before you kill me…I can explain.

See, some very evil, sick bastard who I like to imagine has a pale complexion, bad acne and suffers internally from agonizing aches and possible some flesh eating disorder decided it would be funny to hack into my computer and plant hundreds of viruses into my hard drive so I lose every file I've ever created. If anyone has any leads on what nefarious monster could have committed this heinous and ungodly crime I am offering a momentary reward – especially if you can bring me their scalp.

Now that my wanted message is out, along with a very helpful and detailed description (their head probably does a 360 degree turn as well) I will get this chapter rolling!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan who are currently utilizing all their energies to hunting down the demon mentioned above.

* * *

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. – The Wonder Years

She tried not to focus on it – the emptiness, the void, the chasm, the blank in her mind. It was useless, wasted energy that always left her desperately clinging to some truth she could hold onto that nobody could take away, like her name. She knew she was Mira Sohma, she just didn't have a clue what that little detail completely entailed. She knew she was finally above the age of needing of guardian, but was too embarrassed to humble herself before Liv and request the answer to something that should be obvious. She had brown, curly hair that reached past her shoulder blades. She couldn't count on seeing the same burning chocolate doe eyes with the warm inner circle of a melted honey color. She had no past possessions to give her clues to what she had been, who she had been. Dreams in the night would thieve her of sleep, have her twisted in a cold sweat as Liv cursed at her from the other side of the room for talking again – she never retained the images of the dream when she woke up to reality. Reality, wasn't that a laugh? Her perception was so skewed…so incomplete. The blind dreams seemed more real, held more merit of truth than the awkward life she tumbled through with only a name to her face, with tedious components to make up the foundation of the question 'who am I'. She was right handed and curled her letters to form delicate calligraphy. She could add and subtract customers meals quicker in her head than the old, but reliable register. But she didn't know what her first memory was, the first movie she had seen, her favorite book, if she had ever been in love, the faces of her parents, if she believed in a God, if she believed in anything. All she had to cling to was an image in the mirror.

"Mira, focus!" Liv tossed a roll of paper towels straight at her head, and gave a quiet victory cheer when her target was met. She flashed her tawny eyes innocently over at Mira's scowling face as she went back to scrubbing the scuffed up checkered floor with a sudsy, soppy grey mop that resembled to Liv like an old fashioned wig.

"Would you give me some peace and quiet?" Mira snapped, agitated as she dunked the mop into the yellow mop bucket and splashed the soapy water across a dribble of ice cream from a sticky fingered, over eager child who had insisted on bubble gum when Mira had served him earlier, causing her to wonder what her favorite ice cream flavor was.

"Well, if you're going to go into one of your moods," Liv gave a slight huff, fixing her fingers through her shaggy multicolored locks, "You can lock up and I will leave you alone," she grinned cheerfully, the twelve hour shifts were brutal some days, although the ache of making her own money, her own living was well worth it. She could already feel the sensation of her bones sinking onto a comfortable mattress, cuddling into the thick blankets. The only thing missing was the familiar form of a taunt and muscular body, the smell of her Hatori on the pillow. God she missed him. She'd become so easily distracted when glancing out the window during a slow hour at work, spotting someone sauntering down the pave way and allowing her tender heart to play out in her mind if it was him, how he would come dashing in with their baby, her adorable little boy and they'd manage to escape the claws and curse of their family. The fantasy was forbidden, and that made it all the sweeter. She couldn't help but plan, imagine and hope that someday he would come like a white knight through that glass door. She had never wanted to be rescued, and the first two months working for Vivie hadn't been…nearly as painful as she had thought it would be. In fact, Vivie, while a bit over the top, over enthusiastic and as annoying as hell most days, respected secrets, never pried and was always there to yank her back before she did the unthinkable and strangled a customer who's only plight was that their meal wasn't popped out and ready to go before the cash register was done ringing up the total. If she allowed herself to be completely honest with herself, the past two months hadn't been bad, not bad at all compared to what she had been subjected to as an inmate of Mana's. At least this was freedom.

The unpainted scowl failed to lift as Mira waved her off, "Everyone is entitled to moods. Besides I'm sweeter than you are, even when I'm at my worst," which wasn't as farfetched as it sounded. Mira had already learned not to cross Liv when she was feeling foul. Not only did the woman have a mean shriek, but she was prone to stomping feet, childish name calling and tossing heavy objects half way across the room. All she asked for was to sulk in peace.

"I won't disagree; only add that I might be in a better mood if someone stopped chatting and having conversations with herself at two in the bloody morning."

"I'm the one suffering from fucking dementia Liv. Why don't you be a pal and fill me in on these two a.m. conversations, huh?" she snapped back, her jaw tight as she slammed the mop back into the bucket and began to wipe down the windows, the circular motion failing to sooth the rage churning in her gut.

She couldn't, she couldn't dare mention what these conversations sounded like. Liv could only rebuttal back with sarcastic comments, and hope to save Mira from the truth. It would be cruel to open that closet of skeletons, she was better off without knowing, without ever remembering in daylight on the name she agonized and whimpered out in the heavy darkness. How could she tell her only living family, her twin sister and friend that the reoccurring nightmare she became twisted up over was shooting her one true love? It was mercy that Hatori had erased her memory, and Liv wouldn't destroy the chance of inner peace that Mira had a chance of obtaining. Her fingers clenched on the clear spray bottle for a second as the bloody night flashed before her mind. A nightmare, one better left not remembered. "I'll…leave you alone then," she somberly quipped, sliding the bottle under the marble counter and making a quiet bee line for the private marked door up to their shared apartment.

Now that she had the sudden peace, there wasn't noise to distract her from what she heard in the night. While it was true that she awoke trembling and sweaty from the nightmares without a single visual, she remembered the noise, a deafening sound of a body hitting cement or wood, some hard texture and this male grunt of pain that clutched her heart and had lead dropping into her belly. And for just a second, she swore she could see violet eyes – but it flashed too quickly for her to be sure. All she knew of was the darkness and a coldness that was associated with it, the chill that settled deep into her bones long after the nightmare was over. From a distance she heard the twinkle of the bell hung on the front entrance doors that alarmed them of any customers. It broke her chain of concentration and she lost the violet eyes she had been focusing on. Suspiring in irritableness, she set the paper towels down. What part of 'closed' didn't they understand? It was already past eleven, she didn't have the energy to deal with this. "Look, we're closed. You'll have to try the McDonalds up the road," she snapped, spinning on the hell of her sneakers to gap at the customer – no intruder – standing before her, his face covered with the fuzzy dark material of a ski mask, his flinching fingers aimed at a hand gun in his waist pocket and the money sitting in the cash register.

He picked up the cold metal in his hands, raised it to her eye level and Mira felt a cold sweat break across her forehead, her eyes staring down the barrel while feeling her gut twist as her fingers tightened into a fist. She knew how that gun would feel in her fingers, how to pull that trigger, the sound the bullet would make when ramming into a human chest. Wasn't that…strange? Out of all the things she didn't know, couldn't remember, she knew how it would feel to not only hold a gun, but use it. "You want the money, just take it."

"Stand there and don't move; or I'll shoot," the gruff voice threatened lowly, keeping one hand on that trigger as he reached for the cash register.

Something possessed her; it was the only explanation for the stupidity that erupted in her mind as she grabbed the metal legs of one of the black dining chairs and flung it into his lower legs. She could hear the bullet crashing through the window, metal against glass as she slid down low and tackled him around the middle, their bodies smashing into the tile, the gun skidding across the glossy top. Pain broke out across her lower back where she was rammed into the back of a chair. Rage had her nostrils flaring, her honey brown eyes dilated as her fingers clenched tightly into a fist, her knuckles ramming into the side of his chin.

"Shit, you're going to pay for that, bitch," the pain exploded across his jaw. Some little floozy bartender was not going to stop him from cashing out tonight. She couldn't be more than a hundred and twenty pounds, he could handle her. His fingers gripped into her waist as he maneuvered her, trying to capture her between the hard ground and his tough body. Bitch wouldn't land a punch on him again. He didn't see the calculating glint in her eyes, barely caught his breath as her knee jammed up into his crotch. Breath sucked in and then released as she dug her elbow into his gut, and then smashed the heel of her palm into his nose, cracking it.

Where the hell had she learned to break a nose? Breathless Mira struggled up, her legs vibrating with adrenaline as she grabbed the edge of the counter. She could see out of the corner of his eye as he reached for the gun again, her fingers clenched onto the counter and she just…somersaulted over it, flipping her legs over her head and landing on the other side as if it was nothing. For a moment her head was swimming, her legs buckling under her as she slid against the shelves under the counter that held all the cleaning products, napkins and other odd ends used for the diner. She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the labored, harsh breathing and counted to three. He was going to shoot her; she was resigned to that fact. He was going to shoot her…

She expected the loud pop of the gun, not the sound of metal clashing. Shakily rising on her feet, she glimpsed over the counter to see Liv tossing a metal napkin holder to the floor, the corner marred with blood as the man slid to the ground.

"Next time just knock them out. Jeez Mira, you look as pale as a ghost," she remained composed because someone had to with her sister shaking and her eyes staring back, dark and glossy with ripe fear. The sound of police sirens howled in the distance.

"Police will be here soon, come on. We'll have to give them the story."

* * *

Giving the details of the incident shouldn't have shaken her up as much as actually being attacked, but Mira couldn't stop her fingers from nervously twisting together, her heel slapping against the dirty tiled floor as her wide, alarming eyes stared into the benevolent face of a police officer, soothing her with the knowledge that the gunner would be in jail for a very long time. He wasn't her worries. What if they called the Sohmas? She kept nervously glancing towards the door, expecting Akito or Hatori to break in, shackle and drag her up while the police turned a blind eye.

"Miss, I know this has been a traumatizing event for you, here's a few numbers you can call for support or counseling."

She took the card, clutching it tightly before shoving it in her back jeans pocket as Liv agreed to identify the man officially. She felt her hand on her shoulder, her slender neck snapping to glance at an unusual soft, but comforting face.

"I'll be right back. Just wait here…okay?" without waiting for a response, as Mira looked about frozen to the seat, she accompanied the officer with feeling a small sense of smug satisfaction to put the bastard behind bars for good as she embellished the tales of violence, expanding on the bruises Mira had blotched across her creamy complexion.

As their voices crinkled into white noise, Mira locked her legs under the chair and tried to steady her breathing. In, and out. In, and out. When that didn't work, she focused on the posters of anti-crime in the room, against drugs and drinking. The posters didn't distract her mind away from the feel of the gun, a gun she hadn't touched or how she had known how to plow her fist into the bony structure of a man, how she knew to freaking summersault over a dining bar.

"Mira? Mira Nolan?"

She heard her name being called, while, her first name. Although the surname was familiar, and it had raced through her head before – it was just another mysterious part of the puzzle, a long ago memory shattered by the 'accident' that Hatori had briefly mentioned vague details about.

"You know me?" she swiveled in the chair to glance at the slightly brooding man.

"Of course I know you, Mira. Christ. Kanji, remember? How could you…" he paused, and glared his eyes at her, "the bastards. They made you forget, didn't they?" figures, it was just like the Sohma family to take the sparkle out of that young girls eyes. He could feel the rage pummel through his fists. They took everything, family, loved ones, memories…blood.

"Wait…do you…can you…tell me anything, anything about myself?" there was a note of desperation in her voice, her fingers clinging to the back of her chair as she implored him silently. Answers, she needed the answers. She needed to know why it always felt like she was drowning.

"Would it matter?" he softened his voice as he caught that desperate sorrow in her voice, poor thing. "What's the last thing you remember? I can try to fill you in…but not here…it's not safe here." He glanced up suspiciously, running a hand through his thick mocha locks.

She nodded without second guessing, shifting out of her chair and forcing her legs to lock and not shake, "I woke up in the Sohma's, and they held me prisoner until I escaped, because nobody stops me, nobody can contain me, tell me I'll be their prisoner," her voice shook with conviction as she briefly glanced behind her in guilt. Liv would be fine; she wasn't the worrying, maternal type. "Let's go, it's about time I learn a few things about my family."

The rage exploded bitterly on the last word, on family.


	8. Chapter 8: Questions and Answers

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 6**: Questions and Answers

**Authors Note**: I'll skip the begging for mercy this time and just go straight to the story. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan who are still currently utilizing all their energies to hunting down the demon mentioned above.

* * *

Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will. ~James Stephens

"Are you sure? Are you really sure?"

The voice was a siren's symphony in the back of her head, chilled and icy with mystery that had the hairs on the nape of her neck standing to attention. Was she sure, was she really, really sure she could handle whatever the bulky man in the worn leather jacket had to tell her? Maybe he was yanking her chain, finding amusement in searching up a girl who had gone into numerous free clinics to have her head examined during work shifts and out of her sister's prying eye so he'd know she would be an easy target for whatever ill purposes he held. Perhaps once she had trusted, naively and stupidly. Now every shadow that lurked came with a question, a pause, a thud in her heart as it tripled its beat in panic. She knew what it was like to be held hostage, to be denied sweet freedom and to feel violated as other's smirked at her with some grand secret. As if they were all in on the joke and she wasn't. They had taken something from her – the sohma family, and she knew it was more than just her memories. Once she remembered who she was then that was only the beginning. Hell's fire was about to rain down on the Sohma family, and they would pay for every bitter salty tear that had slid down her young, blushing cheek bones.

"Alright, I'm ready," she announced in the painfully empty two room apartment complex as Kanji turned the deadbolt on the abused, rotting oak wood door, his weight shifting from foot to foot in anticipation before he was able to swipe his burly fingers through the mop of un-kept raven cilium and circle back to drape the one window with its broken shingles. The room dimmed slightly, and when he turned around to face the woman before him, he was ready with answers to her questions.

It felt as if she had been waiting her entire life for this moment, since the second she had woken in the cubical alabaster room with Hatori Sohma leaning over her, telling her everything would be alright as he soothed her panicked eyes with lies. She needed to know the truth, if she was going to see revenge, than she needed to know all the crimes against her by the Sohma family, and the sins her blood had committed.

"Along time ago, we were on the same side, Mira. I told you about my wife Mara and how she married a lowly servant that the Sohma's saw unfit. But they also saw our daughter Suki as a full blooded Sohma and when the zodiac age, when they're about to die, than Mana's spell must be completed again to receive new hosts, new bodies. They murdered my daughter in their sacred bloody temple so the zodiac within you could continue to thrive," he was cut off, noticing how her head was shaking, her jaw left ajar as she starred wide eyed at him.

"But I'm not part of that anymore. I'm free. I just…don't know how," it was just another reason why she needed to know, so she could help free others used by the God, "Tell me what happened before I lost my memory. What do you remember?"

He shifted uncomfortably, and after seconds of starring down at his two enormously large feet, sighed, "Not much kid. Not much. I told you about the blood sacrifice with each generation. We went into an alley way and were attacked. I covered you as you went to the Sohma estate. That's all I know."

That was it. That was what she had to go on? Despair weighed heavily on her shoulders as she fought not to fall to the floor right there in front of Kanji, the disappointment clear in her eyes as she squeezed them tightly shut. "That tells me…fucking nothing," she broke, her voice trembling before the oath slipped past her lips in sheer irate rage. All the anger was pent up in her tiny balled up fists and there was nothing in the empty room for her to smash.

"I'm sorry Mira. I was actually hoping that my story might spark some memories," he stepped forward than, and grabbed her shoulders to give her a gentle shake as she kept her face pointed downward, "Don't give up, not yet, not before you've even started fighting. That's pathetic. So I wasn't able to give you your whole bibliography. I shouldn't have to. It's all up there Mira, in your head," he tapped her template softly with his finger and let go of her shoulders, watched stiffly as she stumbled back and glowered.

"I never said I was giving up," she snapped, rubbing her shoulder and spinning around on her toes to glance at the door, her eyes narrowing in as she tightened his fists harder to her sides, "I'm going to find that temple you mentioned. And if anyone's in there, I'll make them talk. I'll find my answers, one way or another." she had no limits now. Her fingernails bit into her skin as she stepped forward, yanking the chain off the door and unlocking it before thrusting the rotting oak to the side.

Kanji moody eyes cleared as he grinned from behind her, "That's the Nolan spirit, Mira. You've got enough outsider in you to fight against Mana. Something I've witnessed over the years in his services may help you. There's a reason why other's have fought against his word and failed, why they haven't been able to run away or refuse his orders like you. There's less of his curse in your blood. Now let's find that temple."

"You're coming with?" her shocked tone matched the surprised expression on her face at his blunt command, inviting himself along her quest. Why she hadn't expected it with a man determined as Kanji was, well…she didn't really know him as well as he knew her.

"You'll just get yourself killed alone, kid," he remarked with a rugged smirk, brashly tucking his large muscular hands into his pockets, hands that had knocked men out before and knew their fair share of labor. They were hands that could come in handy during a fight, and keep Mira from harm.

Because he was right, she remained stubbornly mute, tossing in a strong glare before shaking her curly sienna locks around her slender neck and stomping forward, "Fine. Just try not to slow me down. And don't complain when three's a crowd," she added.

"Three?" he stopped short in his tracks and groaned, "Ah no. No. No. No. I haven't had the pleasure of having a civilized conversation with your sister and I'd like to keep it that way."

"What?" Mira froze as she turned around, starring strangely at him with the words he had just spoken, "She's…not…she's…Liv's just another zodiac. She would have told me if we were related like that."

Poor girl, just another lie stacked on top of another one. "She's your twin, Mira. I thought since she was with you…" well damn, now he really didn't like her. "You want more information, now you know where to get it."

Mira's features darkened as she nodded stiffly, "I do now" she took her first breath, tried to control the rage pulsating through her. And when that didn't work she gave the cement wall a good strong kick, hissing a strangled scream sound through her clenched teeth as she fumbled forward, a slight limp in her stride with smoke practically pouring out of her ears.


	9. Chapter 9: The Rules of Sisterhood

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 6**: The Rules of Sisterhood

**Authors Note**: Let's hope being able to update this quickly sticks. Personally, I'd like to think I have one or two readers out there willing to stick with my hectic writing schedule. I can assure everyone now that I am incredibly OCD about finishing a project so Unyielding Courage will come to an ending…I might just draw it out a bit.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan along with a number of other side characters I've created on their little quest in Unyielding Courage.

Sisterhood is powerful. ~Robin Morgan

* * *

The fury was still as livid and damaging as a wild fire, festering out of control, consuming the energy swirling tightly inside her asphyxiated chest as she nearly broke down the front door to the quaint little loft above the restaurant, where her sister sat deep within the ugly shag couch, flipping idly through the pages of Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. The association of sister brought a wild haze of emotions that she bitterly tumbled through. All the answers she had sought half crazed during the bitter nights and blistering days and it was right there, lethargically reading about man's worst demons attempting to immortalize himself. She sent the door slamming back against the frame, rattling and shaking the rusting metal hinges that had Liv silently placing the book down on the old coffee table.

"Is there a problem?" she asked with the shadow of a smile biting at the corners of her rosy lips, her elbows leaning up against the hard coffee table as she studied the shadows under Mira's eyes, the foam nearly sizzling around her chomps. "I was wondering if you'd come back. You ran off pretty quickly at the police station." her voice nearly dripped of pity. Not that she didn't enjoy having Mira around, but all things considering, it would have been simpler if she had decided to duck out and take the first train heading out of Japan.

"Is there a problem?" Mira retorted, her strangled tone of voice forcing the question to take on a whole meaning as she paced between the spaces of their small kitchen and humble living room. "Gee, I don't know Liv. Is there a problem? Oh wait. I know. How about the fact you never mentioned we shared the same womb? What haven't you told me Liv? I want to know damn it! I have a right!" her voice pitched as she shrilled, sending her fist slamming against their kitchen counter before pacing back to Liv who sat rigid against the couch.

She knotted her fingers together as she looked down against her toes, Mira's soprano voice no longer the bubbly chanter or sarcastic banter she was used to, but full rage that threatened to shatter their windows. "It's complicated, Mira," she muttered half heartedly under her breath, her fingers literally shaking in her lap. "You're so lucky. Don't. Don't push this. It's a gift that they've taken away your memories. For once in your life, just accept that and stop being so god damn stubborn."

Mira swore once, kicking her foot against the counter before rounding back to snap at Liv, "Accept that I've had my brain hacked into and my memories stolen from me? Accept that I'll always be half a person, wondering who I am? Accept this shadow of a past that's all hazy images in tones of grey? I need to remember Liv. Who are you to condemn me for that? To decide for me what I should and shouldn't remember? God, you're just one of them. You're just a fucking Sohma! Holding all the power and hurting the ones who have none!" she ranted with the breath huffing out of her chest, the first slip of angry bitter tears leaking from her eyelid. She couldn't stand to even look at the woman she was supposed to be related to.

"Sister's are supposed to watch out for each other, you don't deserve the title," she snapped before spinning back out of the quarters, her shoulders heaving frantically as the door slammed behind her back.

* * *

"Let's go," she snapped hotly as she swung through the private marked door to interrupt Kanji and the mouthful of hot cherry pie he was currently devouring in front of a very pleased cook. She aimed him one cold glare as he stuffed the last forkful into his mouth and thanked Vivie who continued to beam in her constantly euphoric state.

He shrugged on the battered leather jacket that had seen too many dark streets and brawls and followed on Mira's impatient heels, his neck snapping back as the door busted open and Liv sauntered out.

"Where are you going with him?" she snapped, pointing from Mira to Kanji before strolling up to plant her feet between the two.

"We're finding the Sohma temple. I haven't worked out what's next, but at least it's something," Mira snapped, giving Liv a hard shove back at her shoulders, "And you're not invited."

"Stop being daft Mira," Liv snorted, rolling her eyes as Kanji tried to slide past her, "First off, you won't find the temple, you'll just get lost and then I'll have to come out and save your ass. Second, you're going to trust some random guy?"

Kanji gave a loud cough as she squared up against him, "Well, first off, I know where the temple is so we won't get lost – thanks for your heartfelt concern. Second, yeah, she is going to trust me. See, I didn't lie to her like you did."

"Could we do this later?" Mira intervened between the two, "I really don't want you in my sight right now Liv. You just, god you infuriate me at times! Always making my life hell, and then deciding to be the self sacrificing one, making me guilty for being pissed at you in the first place. You don't get to make all the choices."

Liv snapped her jaw shut tightly and stared coldly to the floor, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"That came from somewhere, so I'm guessing I do," Mira retorted, her chin stuck up defiantly as she backed through the door with Kanji trailing behind.

His cheerful smirk towards Liv sent her scowling towards the privately marked entrance door, his mocking salute causing Mira to shake her head and grab his elbow to haul him through the door.

* * *

"Well, this is it," Kanji gestured as they battled their way through overgrown ferns and forest brush that left swipes of nail-like imprints against Mira's olive skin, her brown doe eyes glossy as she starred up at the glorified temple of the Sohma family, and the sudden point of devastation that hit her gut when she recalled nothing – not even the smallest of insignificant moments of her past life.

"Can we go inside? I need to go inside," she implored, her feet already treading towards the doors before Kanji gave the okay. She fisted the brass knobs to give a hard pull, a small female cough erupting from behind her that sent both her and Kanji's heart's stopping as they swirled around in panic.

The bushes trembled as a shadow emerged, taking the shape of a stalking Liv with her hair clipped back, her arms tightly against her chest as she shook her head in amazement, "Stubborn idiots," she muttered as she stormed up, "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." she snapped, pointing at Mira before circling around to the back.

Mira and Kanji stood back, frozen out of shock with both jaws ajar, Mira's eyes going from curious to livid within seconds.

"Now wait a damn second –," Mira began.

"Do you want inside or not? This is a back way." Liv explained with her patience thinning.

Shrugging, Kanji moved to the wall and followed as Mira gave a tiny stomp of her foot before sulking as the drag end of the group.

Liv lead them to a back way door, the lock unhitching with a bobby pin she pulled from her pony tail as it swung open and she gestured grandly to take a step inside. "You won't find anything," she warned as Mira stormed past her, flicking one irritated glance over her shoulder before she walked into the large circular room and noticed the paintings. It was the first thing that caught her attention, lovely and dreadful with strokes of anguish and pain, of love and sin that had painted the animals of the zodiac on the wall. Even in their faded images she could see the invisible chains holding them to the God, her eyes drifting to the magnificent horse striding grandly towards the hillside, her neck bent and muscles strained in submission as Mana appeared as the golden sun, stretching over every hilltop she could possibly try to run to.

"I know you," she whispered to the painting, dragging her fingertips against the sweet face of the mare that pulled against her confines, the stark dark eyes with the wild whites rolling as her nostrils flared in the painting. She felt almost queasy as her stomach took a dive, her eyes strained against the portrait as she touched it with her fingertips again, over the back spine towards the rump, down the tail carried high and proud by the mare as her head swirled.

* * *

_We have to take this now. Open your body up to me, let me come in. I am too weak to force you._

_Good._

_With the one word thought out, Mira felt the strange sensation of an alienation from her body as she was pulled into the corners of her mind._

_There was the poof, and the dark chestnut stood tall in the darkness with a slight, but noticeable limp. When she was through, it would be even more pronounced._

_"I am Cabalina, and this would be far easier if you'd allow my sister, Panya, to come through. I'm afraid you'll just have to trust us if you wish to remain with a free spirit and control over your own body. If not, I hope you enjoy the darkness and silence because there will be a lifetime for that," the voice was a little deeper and earthy than Mira's, but a similar connection with the wild and demanding impatience that was often there._

_Yuki looked up startled, "Panya?" he finally echoed._

_It had a name?_

_"There's not enough time and her body can withstand your weight. Think it over well I take care of this door," the horse pivoted on her feet sharply and whirled her back feet into the air, one slightly limp. She took aim and sent the shards flying._

_When she turned back, a quiet, grey mouse stood in the boy's place._

_"Sister," the mouse sighed softly before she scurried onto the horses's forelock and sat contently between her ears._

_"Let us change the course of history," Cabalina shrieked with delight before she leaped through the doorway and down the hall, making all the noise she pleased._

_Nobody could catch her now._

_

* * *

_

"Mira, Mira?" Liv called her name softly, shaking her sisters shoulders from where she had passed out under the painting.

Mira's head swarmed as she glanced between closed eyelids, a slit of light and color coming between her eyelids as she slowly widened them and glanced upwards into the concerned expressions of Kanji and Liv glancing down at her from the uncomfortable pavement. She sat up slowly, her back and head aching as she starred up, mesmerized at the painting. "Cabalina…"

"What?" Liv whispered softly, supporting her back gently as she glanced up at the painting.

"Her name was Cabalina. And she wanted to be free," and she wasn't, "I know what I have to do now."

"WHAT?" Liv's voice hitched in panic as Mira jumped up and then stumbled a bit, gripping onto Kanji as he supported her arm quickly.

"They have to be freed. We all have to be freed. At first it was revenge. I just wanted the Sohma's to pay for whatever they had done to me. Now I know what I need to do. I need to free them."

"Well that's all fine and dandy," Liv snapped as she sprung up to a standing position, "But how in hell do you propose to break a curse that no one has been able to do for centuries?"

"No idea," Mira admitted as she continued to stare at the painting, "But I am going to do it." She squinted her eyes at the painting and then turned towards Liv, her lips drawing in a soft frown. "Liv…who's…Panya? Who's the rat?"

Liv stared downward for a second before giving a shrug, "Just another zodiac. Forget about it, it's probably not important." she whispered softly, and when Mira turned around to stare at the painting again, she swiped a guilty tear from her cheek.


	10. Chapter 10: Concrete Angels

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 10**: Concrete Angels

**Authors Note**: Hey I'm getting back to my old self when it comes to updating! Must be the swirl of tornado clouds that keeps me inside and away from my horses. Nothing else to do but write to my heart's desire. Thanks to all who review! I appreciate it so much, you have no idea and even if I don't always have time to respond to each one, I really do try to respond to some of them!

Also – I'm looking for a beta reader, because I hate editing and consider each word I put in my story brilliant. But that's arrogant of me and since I am always trying to improve my writing, am looking for a beta. I'm not going to go surfing through beta readers files by random though so I'd really enjoy a reference or if anyone's a fan who might want to read the chapters earlier than when I put them out…? ;)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan along with a number of other side characters I've created on their little quest in Unyielding Courage.

* * *

"_One kills a man, one is an assassin; one kills millions, one is a conqueror; one kills everybody, one is a god__" ~ Jean Rostand _

"God that hurt," Mira rubbed the back of her head lightly as Kanji led her over to an open bench for prayer stationed in front of the great alter where a grandiose painting had been hung behind it. He was a man of greatness, and by the fine silk tone of his robes and the jewels dripping off his fingers and smooth knuckles, must have known wealth. His eyes were jaded and cobalt, like afternoon storms rolling through with a sneer on his thinly chapped lips. Shaven and clean, he had a brilliant mane of obsidian silk that tumbled from his scalp and over his burley shoulders, the muscle bunching by his elongated neck and through the thin wisp of white silk. He had power at his fingertips, sparks nearly igniting as he stood brilliant and tall against the cloudless twinkling sky with the grey rolls of stardust. The thick golden frame alone had to cost more than the electricity bill of all Japan did with its jewels molted into the frame and the lapidary interior work bordering it. He had been a great man once, a great God.

But everyone falls.

"If God's belong in the sky, how'd he get down here?" Mira asked with her sienna eyes transfixed on the picture, it sent a chill down her spine as she pressed her clammy hands into her cheeks and sighed as silence met her answer.

"More importantly, how do we send him back?" Kanji bitterly remarked, leaning down against the white painted bench to stare up at the painting. He only saw the streak of mean, and the curl of arrogance in the man's lip – a man who knew he could take anything he damn well pleased.

"Not that this little artistic discussion isn't culturally enthralling, but the answer's not going to pop out of the painting. Can we go now? I told you this was a waste of time and effort," Liv's tone snapped in the background, her arms still folded up against her chest as she slumped against the wall, starring forward at the proud rooster perched at the edge of the forest, how his eyes shinned like black diamond's with his shrill call to alarm the world on what monster now festered in their woods. But the rooster was too late, and Liv could no sooner call for help to save the others, than she could save herself. It was enough of a challenge to keep Mira preoccupied and away from memories that would rip her sanity to shreds. Maybe she could handle shooting Yuki, and watching the life extinguish from his eyes. But she wouldn't handle the death she brought to her family in the States, or the violence that had escalated when she had been brought back to Japan. She wasn't as strong as she thought she was.

"And I told you not to come along," Mira turned around to snap, baring her teeth before returning to study the painting, "Besides, culturally speaking, isn't anyone else troubled that Mana is some unknown God? He has no other temples, no other worshipers besides the Sohma family?" she wrapped her mind around it, her bad habit of biting on her nails as she thought reforming while the painting stood tall, the ocean slapping up against cliffs behind him, the swirl of grey in the air drawing a strong resemblance to two angry faces, one clearly female, and the other male. From the sea that slapped up in torrent winds with the salty spray of water droplets formed a second, almost disfigured face.

"So he's not very popular. I don't see why this comes as a surprise," Liv huffed, but she moved forward to examine the portrayal of the God who wore her wedding ring, the one who had caged her and condemned her to a life of servitude. "He's not really aiming for a popularity contest."

"Neither was Hades, god of the underworld in Greece, but he still had temples and people respected his name. I would think respect from fear would be better than being unknown and unrecognized," Mira twisted the nail around between the snip of her teeth, starring up at the portrait while Kanji coughed silently at her side.

He had moved to stand against the back wall when he noticed how the door trembled, and shadows danced under the slit from the floor to the bottom trim of the door. "I think we should go," his baritone voice whispered with panic, "Now."

"This way," Liv mouthed softly, pointing towards the hall as they quickly slipped out of the main room as the voices from behind the last door grew louder, angry voices that caught her attention while they quickly turned around the corner.

* * *

"_Why am I still weak? This body is useless!"_

"_Please, master. The service was rushed, the sacrifice's blood diluted. Perhaps a child with more Sohma blood? _

"_Naoki, as keeper of this temple it is your duty, your sole responsibility to preserve the sohma bloodlines. Are you telling me you used an unsuitable sacrifice?" _

"_It was the child you gave me, sir! Please! I beg your forgiveness! It was the child you gave me!"_

"_THEN HOW AM I SO WEAK? IT WAS MY CHILD. THE PUREST BLOOD OF ALL."_

"_I…I'm sorry sir. Are you sure, absolutely sure? Females can be tricksters my lord." _

"…_perhaps my anger is misplaced, Naoki. I believe I've given my wife enough time to bring back her sister. She owes me some answers…"_

_

* * *

_

Mira barely had time to process the information as Liv snagged them down coble stairs, where darkness engulfed them. She could hear the drip of water above her head until a flash of burning orange light appeared, showering Kanji's face in a warm glow as he held the flickering flame up to his face and slowly moved it around the room.

"Now ladies…" he began softly as the two seemed to round up against each other.

"Bringing back your sister?" Mira snapped lowly in the darkness, her fists clenched against her sides, "The only way you're getting me back there is in a body bag."

"I…can explain. Now that I should have to, but I can," Liv bit back her temper as she sloshed through the slick underground water that soaked through her shoes, "I warned you, didn't I? Get on a train, keep going, and don't push this. But you pushed. You always have to push. Did you really think Akito would just let us go? Let us wander around in Japan without sending a couple of idiots after us? That he wouldn't know the moment you slipped outside his gate? I protected you, be grateful."

"Be grateful?" Mira's voice wrangled the word, the air slicing through her larynx as she bit her bottom lip and counted to three before continuing. "I invited you along before I knew we were related. But as long as you're willing to explain, how about to tell me how Akito sacrificed a child of his, and you're his wife, and yet the blood of the head of house wasn't strong enough?"

Liv cursed for a moment, her arms coldly coming to wrap around her as she leaned up against smooth granite, "It's a long story."

"I've got time, all the time in the world to hear this."

"Fine." Liv snapped harshly on the word before flinching against the cold rock that hit her lower back, "You've seen my child with Hatori, you know I am – no, was, involved with him. Before Akito married me, I was carrying Hatori's child. If Akito knew, he would have murdered both of them. I knew I had a better chance of protecting them if they were born as Akito's children," she took a deep breath then, and trembled, "I was wrong."

For a moment Mira stood coldly to the side, but the glow of Liv's devastated face had her moving forward, and awkwardly wrapping an arm around her shoulders to tuck her in close to the warmth of her body. "Go on," she implored gently.

Liv nodded with a tremble, her eyes flashing close as she inhaled the grimy air and moistened her lips, "They came two months premature, like all zodiac children. I was worried, because how could they possibly both be zodiac? I give the sickly one to the maid, asked her to pronounce him stillborn and give him to Hatori. She agreed…we have a…strange friendship, I guess that made her loyal to me. The stronger child, I was sure he was the rat, after- after the death of a zodiac. It made sense. But he turned out to be an ordinary child and Akito took him away that night, took him away before I could hold him in my arms. I always wondered what happened…now I know," she hiccupped on the last word, her breath strained and tangled with choked silent sobs as she turned and tucked her face into Mira's shoulder.

Mira stiffly ran her fingers against her back in comforting circles and sent a pleading expression to Kanji, who shrugged in response and continued to lean down and stare at the large stone heads.

"You're sitting on a tombstone," he warned, coming to glance at the name blocked from Liv's legs. Both girls jumped up and split in a hurry, causing a grin to crack from Kanji as he flickered his flame over the name and sighed. "Mara Sohma, rest in peace baby," he pressed his finger to his lips, and then to the cold stone as he took a moment of silence for his wife.

"And here's the other sisters," Liv remarked softly, her eyes flickering on Hana Sohma, with a pair of angel wings under her name, "I guess our mother didn't make the list," she added after glancing at the rows of Sohma's wilting away in the underground. Her mother should have been between Mara and Hana, but no Tetsu graced a stone.

"What do you know of her, of our mother?" Mira asked softly from the shadows.

Liv gave a gentle shrug, "Not much," she admitted somberly, "Her parents were head of house, so the Sohma blood ran through thickly and she fell in love with some transfer student from America. She wasn't very tame, and she was possessed by Mana. I don't know how she held him back long enough to be with Aaron Nolan, but she did. She smuggled us out in a fire that killed her and Aaron and the other Nolan brothers stepped up to each take one of us. I guess Akito thought with him being the new head of house, and how the head of house once went through our lines that the child would be a strong sacrifice to tie the bonds of his curse," she prayed that the argument with the shrine master meant that he was wrong.

"Hey, girls," Kanji's voice rumbled through the darkness as he peered at another granite rock, glancing over his shoulder to wave them over, "This has angel wings marked on it as well, just like Hana. And the date is only a few months ago. What's the chance that Hana was used as a sacrifice, and that we can find more sacrificed sohma victims down here?"

A chill ran down Mira's spine as she nodded coldly, "I'm guessing the odds are pretty good. With a bloody history like this families, Mana probably see's being a sacrifice as a glorious thing, something to feel honored and chosen. Hana was sixteen; this unnamed baby was a few days. The age must not matter; I guess it's just when the bodies start to grow stronger against the spirit. It's not too hard to see what trend is starting to occur."

"It's not?" Kanji and Liv both remarked before fiercely glaring at each other.

"This is what I read from it," Mira started slowly, a smirk crossing her lips as she watched the shadows of annoyance dance across Liv's face, "He's used to total control. These human bodies are probably annoying, so he possesses and represses the human pretty quickly, but as Sohma blood dilutes, something he was screeching about before, he gets weaker with the curse and the body gets stronger. Generations down the line, he hits an unlucky mark with our mother. Tetsu is out of control and he's losing patience. She's stronger than he is and that's pissing him off, so he does a rushed sacrifice with Hana to jump to the next body and gain his power and control back. But he loses again because Akito's body is weak and can't handle Mana being in it. So he repeats his mistake, instantly goes to a new sacrifice. And I'm beating each time he does a sacrifice, as new Sohma's are born, the souls jump bodies to go to the weaker ones where they can start to leech off and find strength before they do a total possession. Except right now he doesn't have a body to go to. He knows after so many generations the blood is becoming less pure, and he's losing control."

"Fine theory, but then what happened to the last generation of zodiac members? Why aren't they around to talk about it if we have their bodies being released before a natural death" Liv questioned with a snarl of her irritated voice, "This is pointless to just wonder."

"No, it's not," Kanji disagreed, "We're only going to figure this mess out if we put our brains to use and untangle all the mysteries that Mana has been hiding. I bet if we take a look at the stones down here, zodiacs are marked too, to be honored. And assuming that Mana likes his inner circle to stay with only those possessed by the zodiac, he's going to take care of the last generation of people cursed by the zodiac. I doubt he has a problem silencing people for good."

"Let's take a look at these headstones and find out," Mira vouched, her eyes straining against the dark as she cleared off a layer of grime and dust to read the names of the deceased and the concrete angels with their granite marked with wings.

* * *

**Extended Authors Note: **So hopefully some of this information is a refresher from Unbreakable Strength, and some of it should be new and exciting for you to think about! I encourage sending me any questions if you think you are missing something from the information I give through the story because I know it can be a bit of a rush while I write and I don't want anything to come off as unclear. I would also like to just add a second reminder disclaimer here that I've only retained the original contents of the curse with the people changing into the zodiac animals and a God. I'm using my own Japanese folklore to fill Mana out more and have taken the contents of the curse in a new darker direction.


	11. Chapter 11: Hypnotize Me

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 11**: Hypnotize Me

**Authors Note**: I must have missed my darlings, because this is quite the quick updating. There was a lot of heavy information in the last portion, so…we'll see if this one becomes just as fruitful of knowledge as Chapter Ten.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan who are still currently utilizing all their energies to hunting down the demon mentioned above.

* * *

God gave us memories that we might have roses in December. ~J.M. Barrie

There was the thick, slick smell of mahogany cleanser in the air, the dirty dish rag clenched between ruby red nails as Vivie swiped her arm in gigantic circles over her lovely counter top. Mira rested her back against the edge, content with the mild chatter that sounded like a bird's sweet melodic tweet that poured from Vivie's equally scarlet lips.

" And so then, and I swear to God Mira. I kid you not, he walks over after leaving his tip and asks if he's seen me around before. Now, I'm good with faces. You know I know my regulars, so I apologize like any good little French girl would and he says ' sorry, my mistake. must have been in my dreams' now if that isn't the worst -," her complaint crashed to a halt with the little gold bell ringing, her flirty summer sky eyes landing in on the dollar marks as she went to nudge Mira and dump the greased old rag on the shelves, "What can I do for you boys?" she chirped contently, spinning around to spot Mira crouched under the counter, back flat against the wood with her face pale. Vivie rose an eyebrow but said nothing, her lips perched tightly together as she turned around.

"I'm looking for a friend," a gentleman with shaggy bronze hair explained, his mocha eyes widening innocently as he leaned over the table, "Two pretty young women, they're my wards and new to Japan. I'm losing sleep at night thinking of them lost in the streets of Japan. One's got curly chestnut mop of hair down to her shoulder blades, big doe eyes. The other one has topaz eyes, almost like liquid gold with hair that falls straight down her back, a mix of ginger and gold. I've got pictures," he started to shuffle through his pocket, a carefree grin on his face.

"Sorry boys, I'm afraid I can't help you," Vivie smiled sweetly, and pointed towards the no loitering sign, "A girl has to make her living. Hard to concentrate on an empty pocket book at any pictures," she added in with a tight smile.

The man bowed his head and gave a small formal apology, "Of course, the reward for information leading to the girls is quite impressive, I assure you. This is such a charming shop; ever consider making it a chain?"

"Nope," Vivie smiled, her jaw snapping like a sharp as she narrowed her eyes, "You wouldn't be hassling a pair of girls would you? This some con of some underground human trafficking system? I've got faces coming in here during rush hour every day, and running on these two sore feet, I just don't have the time to memorize faces. So you see boys, even if I had the information, I probably couldn't help you out," she leaned closely against the counter then and smirked, "Because I don't really like you coming into my store and asking all these questions without even giving your name."

The man gave a deep, respectful bow again and presented a small business card from his sleeve, "Please, Vivie. Such a lovely woman, it pains me to think you'd believe so poorly of a man and his younger ward," and with that he thumped his hand on the shoulder of a modern day blonde prince charming in Vivie's opinion, "Of such tasteless activities. I have nothing but the best of intentions to further these girls education in the manner of fine writing. You might have heard of me, I write novels, they're very popular among the younger age groups."

She took his place card and read the top line, her eyebrow arching as she raised her chin up against Shigure Sohma, "Hmm, I'm sure you do. My answer stands…what are you doing?" her sweet and casual demeanor with just the hint of irritation dropped as he pulled out a napkin and a black pen and scribbled his name across the top with a cheesy grin.

"This will be worth millions when I'm dead some day."

"That day is going to arrive quicker than you think Mr. Sohma if you don't pay for that napkin and get out of my shop," Vivie warned, a soft French curse following as she snatched the napkin and tossed it to the ground. "Get out!" her furious bark had him tipping his hat politely, the bell sighing in relief as he left.

Mira slowly raised from the counter, a sheepish smile on her face as Vivie turned to confront her.

* * *

Liv came into an all too comfortable, and in her opinion, smug atmosphere and Mira and Vivie shared a slice of cherry pie, and Mira stood perched on her seat with the same smile worn by the devil. The expression Vivie gave her was all to nauseating as she rushed up from her chair and engulfed Liv in a tight, personable hug. Liv struggled for a moment, but it seemed the same rule with bears applied with Vivie – it was best to play dead, hope they knocked you around some with their claws and then strolled merrily on their way.

"So…what are you two talking about?" Liv asked sharply over Vivie's shoulder as the petite woman put all her muscle to use.

Vivie seemed to break into sobs at the question, "You poor thing, you poor, poor girl," she coo'd uncontrollably, sending a glimmer of amusement and a strangled chortle in Mira as she sat back and batted her thick obsidian eyelashes in innocence.

"I had to tell her Liv, it was the only way," she remarked somberly.

"You told her?" Liv snapped as she struggled from the iron clad grip. But like a python, Vivie gripped tighter.

"And she was right to do so! You know Liv, I've been in abusive, controlling relationships before. Well…not me, but a friend of mine. I understand low self-esteem, needing love and affection. I'm sure you loved him, sweetie, but there's someone healthy and good out there for a warm and loving woman like yourself. If you ever need to talk, I'm always available."

Liv counted to ten when she heard the title sweetie being applied to her, her breath washed out hot and irritated against Vivie's cheek as she struggled forward towards Mira, her hands gripped out as if she was about to strangle her, "I think there's been a misunderstanding," Liv muttered lowly through gritted teeth.

"Denial is the first step to overcome Liv," Mira chirped happily, sipping at the tall glass of iced tea as she rested her neck up against the glass.

"I know Shigure Sohma may sound accomplished and wonderful, but any man so narcissi and self-involved who leaves bruises on you and ignores you isn't worth a single tear drop. Oh I'm sure you thought he was brilliant, intellectual, even dashing with an edge of danger, dating an older man, but accepting its over is going to be the best thing for you Liv!" Vivie chanted happily, her arms starting to loosen around Liv's neck.

She was going to kill Mira. There was no other option. As the word Shigure Sohma oozed out of Vivie like black tar, the solution was clear. "Viv. Need to breath," Liv snapped through her clenched jaw. Vivie gave a quick little burst of laughter before her arms slid from around her neck and squeezed her shoulders tightly for comfort before walking back into the kitchen. Liv counted to five before she stared Mira down.

"You know, I told myself it really wouldn't be funny, that the joke would probably be cruel, tasteless and plain childish…but I was wrong," Mira smirked as she forked up the rest of her pie, "It really was funny," she admitted while slurping down the last of her iced tea, "I didn't know your face could go so red, like fire hydrant."

"You know Mira, there was this moment in the past I neglected to tell you how I saved your life. I'm regretting that now, just so you know," she snarled hotly as she scraped the legs of the chair against the wood, earning a sharp scowl from Vivie as she slumped forward, glaring across the table. "I warned you that they'd come for us."

"And now Vivie is willing to cover us because you fell madly in love with the brilliant but arrogant writer who starved you of attention and left his fingerprints on your wrists when he became frustrated with his lack of muse. You had a very steamy run in, want to hear the story?"

Liv made a strangled noise of desperation, half choking on her tongue as she nearly vomited in her mouth. "Please, spare the details," she moaned bitterly. It took a lot of self restraint to not smash Mira's head into the table, but she congratulated herself when she behaved and remained positioned like a livid grizzly from across the table.

"If you're sure," Mira shrugged, sliding from the table and beaming innocently up at Liv, "Maybe I'll remember that time you saved my life today. Kanji is going to try some of the tricks they used in his own therapy sessions to regain his memory. I get to be hypnotized," the idea of unlocking her past had little sparks of thrill and fear sliding up and down her spine. It had to be done. She had to move forward, and that was all the strength Mira needed to confront whatever darkness lurked within her past. She was strong enough to survive living through it, she would survive remembering it.

Liv sighed deeply as she placed her hand against Mira's, "Leave it be, Mira. You can't change anything that happened, you won't change anything that's going to happen. You'll just exhaust and disappoint yourself trying."

"Probably," Mira replied softly, her earnest eyes wide as she glanced at Liv, "But don't we owe it to little engraved wings on the stone tombstones who were murdered for this? Shouldn't we try to salvage some justice for them? I'm not completely selfish that I want to remember my memories for myself Liv, I was looking for this information before, and I must have held some of it. After all the annoyingly cryptic messages and codes you've given me, I'm terrified to remember. There's this huge hole inside me that's constantly threatening to cave in. I wake up screaming of nightmares I don't remember, I find tears on my cheeks that I can't understand. I know that remembering will be hard, but I owe it to myself. I owe it to you, I owe it to the people who loved me in my former life to remember them and find some justice. I might be afraid, but that's not going to stop me," she narrowed her eyes down on Liv and shoved lightly past her, heading towards the private entrance door to where Kanji was waiting. "I'm going to remember Liv, because I'm not a coward. And I'm sure as hell not giving up before I've started fighting."

* * *

"Focus only on my voice Mira, that's it, close your eyes, relax. I want you to imagine five steps, and I'm going to take you down each step. With each step your eyelids will grow heavier and heavier, let your body relax. That's it, listen to my voice, when I count to five we'll begin. One, you're on the first step, you're feeling very sleepy…"

Her eyelids fluttered shut as she listened to Kanji and then her mind seemed to wriggle away, and she wasn't in control anymore. The darkness turned into the dazzling sunlight that blinded you and from far off she could hear Kanji whisper questions to her, but her mind was too focused in front of her to answer.

"_Forward Mira, look forward. Attack the jump, stop being afraid." _

"_It's five feet high! You attack the jump and not be afraid." _

"_You're horse is doing the jumping, I don't know what you're complaining about. Give her the courage, trust, and she'll do it. Now JUMP Mira!"_

_The command had her lurching forward in her saddle, her eyes starring over a jump that came at her forehead if she was standing on the ground. She nearly clenched her eyes shut but remembered at the last moment to face fear dead on. her sweaty fingers gripped the leather reins as she exhaled, and moved forward with her horse as the ground vastly flew under their hooves and stretched over towards the heavens before gravity forced them back down again. Her legs felt like jelly as she inhaled, and took the next jump in stride – no fear." _

"Listen to my voice; you're becoming very, very sleepy Mira. You go down the second step; your eyelids are very heavy…"

_Her nostrils flared and the whites of her eyes were shown as she nearly bucked into a standing position. Her coat was a deep auburn, nearly black and slicked with sweat. Her legs protested at any sharp movement, her muscles stung as she recalled the event of feeling her body transform without her permission. Reality didn't include having an animalistic second body. This wasn't happening – she wanted to refuse, plant her feet, stick out her chin, square her shoulders and refuse to meet the truth in the eye like the stubborn little girl lying in the dirt._

_But, what point was there in denying the obvious? Yes, her heart was racing faster than her thoughts and the worry pent up inside of her left no room for the frustration, the anger, the fear. Hot steamy tears slipped down her cheeks before she closed her eyes and collapsed back on the soggy ground imprinted with her unfamiliar body. Wretchedly, the same question danced around in her head – why me? It was easier than thinking of the one fear that rang out above all the others._

_What if I don't change back? Which led to, how do I change back? It was overloading her system. Her first reaction had been to run, don't think, and just run. That had proved to be dangerous with the low branches that dangled in the forest. All Mira had to show for it was a nasty headache. She was forced to look at her problem and meet it dead on instead of willfully wishing for someone to save her from this dark hour of despair._

"You're on step three, by now you should feel fully relaxed. Don't worry Mira, you are safe with me as your guide, I can wake you up at any time."

_When she opened her eyes, Yuki was much closer. He surprised her when he opened his arms wide and drew her into a tight embrace, her arms instinctively wrapped around his. The hug was strange, only because it lasted for longer than a second before he transformed, it wasn't something Yuki was accustomed too._

_Still, Mira needed comfort, and he wanted to be the person to comfort her. The warmth of another person's body invited his own, her fragrance intoxicated him. He automatically tightened his grasp on her and felt her strength mimic his._

_In a way, they were holding each other up._

_"I'll be okay," she reassured, but her hands didn't stop clutching the back of his shirt, her arms didn't unlock from his shoulders and her head didn't rise from the crook of his neck._

_"You don't have to be alone, I'm here for you, always," he promised._

_She took in his scent, and was able to relax easier. She could concentrate on something besides the memory that flashed in her head, the call that Belle screamed to her rider as she rushed over by her side._

_In time her words would be true, she would be alright. For now, it was nice to lean on somebody else._

"Mira…Mira..i'm going to count back from five now, and when I end at five you'll wake up."

_"Then, let me help you forget them," Yuki offered. His hand grasped her wrist gently as he brought her close to him. A twinkle of amusement shinned in his grey eyes, more danger and guts than Mira had ever recalled seeing in those disastrous eyes. Her body molded against his and her arm looped around his shoulders, her other hand entangled in his thick locks of hair. She took in a deep breath, and glued her eyes on his when he began to slowly descend his lips to hers. _

_It was a brutal surrender as she grasped his shoulders tighter against her body, desire bolted across her eyes as bright and vibrant as a shooting star. A thirsty moan filled the silence and his lips captured hers in a series of assaults all over again. Her will crumbled away and Mira lost all motivation to ever move from this very spot. Her mind fuzzed over, the richest wine in the world wouldn't taste nearly as delicious as his lips on hers did._

_Her moan excited him and in response he tightened his embrace on her. Gently, his hand moved from her wrist to intertwine in her thick curls of dark brown hair. Her hand grasped the front of his shirt and tugged his chest closer to her body. Under the palm of her hand, she could hear the furious flutter of his heart beat against the rib cage._

_"Could you do that, one more time?" she requested, and he fulfilled her demand in enthusiasm, his lips captured hers lightly. It was less of a takeover and demand for surrender but a slow movement of tenderness and care. Her lips moved rhythmically with his, parting slightly. His hands became lost in the tangles of her hair, her arms locked around his shoulders. There was no logical reason to ever move away from this spot._

"Two…Three….Four…"

_Because he was right, Mira grinned and indulged him, "I'll make it up to you, years and years of making it up to you," she promised and tugged lightly on the collar of his shirt. His lips smoothly slid over hers and instant warmth exploded across her body._

_His arms rested around her waist and then using little strength he lifted her body off the ground and onto the table, his hand became loss in the tangles of hair._

_She could feel his excitement rise when she moaned and squeezed her body closer to him, as if some invisible force was about to try and tear him away from her. She didn't want to ever leave this spot, but to slid into the kiss and vanish within it._

_His tongue flickered against her lips and she responded enthusiastically, to the point of throwing her arms around his shoulders to hold him even closer._

_Yuki sighed contently when she slipped away to suck in some air and nibble lightly against his bottom lip. She planted soft kisses along his jawbone and cheek to give a playful bite on his earlobe and watch him jump in surprise._

_"I love you," she whispered into his ear. Finally, the three words were rushed past her lips, for only Yuki to hear._

_"Despite all the worry you've put me through," he scolded lightly, "I've loved you, and will continue to love you," nothing could ever end that love. It was hers eternally._

"You're eyes will be opening now…Five…"

"Welcome back sunshine," Liv's voice cooed with thick sarcasm in the background.


	12. Chapter 12: Roses in December

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 12**: Roses in December

**Authors Note**: This very special chapter has a song dedicated to it called One Moment More by Mindy Smith. I encourage everyone to jump on YouTube and listen to this fabulous, and very tender and somber song. Thank you to all who have reviewed! It means the world to me to know that this story interests people and is worth their time to read. I promise to keep the updates going as well as I have in the past few days.

I'll even give you the link to the song. : )

.com/watch?v=Jzu3Ihyq50c

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan who are still currently utilizing all their energies to hunting down the demon mentioned above.

_One Moment More ~ Mindy Smith_

_

* * *

_

_Oh, please don't go__, __Let me have you just one moment more__  
__Oh, all I need__, __All I want is just one moment more__  
__You've got to hold me and maybe I'll believe__  
__So hold me__, __Even though I know you're leaving_

_

* * *

_

She had been shaking so violently, her spine curling into the crevices of the shaggy run down couch that had Kanji second guessing the hypnosis and drawing her quickly out of the trance of memories that were obviously conflicting and torrential drowning her in an aggressive sea of consternation and somber affliction. Each step he counted down he saw her flinch and heard her whimper in destitute, pulling at the strings of his heart for a girl who did her best to keep her chin up and the tears from her eyes. As Liv welcomed her to the world, he saw the bleak discomfort in her eyes, how she gripped at the edge of the mattress and quickly stifled the sound of a feeble cry scraping up the sensitive tube of her throat that rippled hollowly from pallid lips. "I'm sorry," his voice pitched as he stumbled emotionally over the words, the usual deep and velvet baritone of his voice sounding scratchy and echoing off to a distance as he glanced with guilty flint steel eyes to Liv, "You were right."

Liv snorted, her hands wringing uncomfortably behind her back as she barred her alabaster white teeth, "A little late to admit that now," she snapped, sinking onto the couch to slowly ease her fingers around Mira's shoulders and give a gentle shake, "You wanted to remember. You asked for this," Liv reminded her bitterly. It wouldn't help to coddle or try and ease the pain away now. Mira had to face it full frontal again.

Those perfect violently purple eyes flashed with each blink, with each pulse she felt a similar dead beat off in the distance, an echo of a heartbeat that had once pulsated just for her. She remembered the sensation and feel of his lips, how smooth and marbled they felt against her own – and indescribably warm and comforting. Or how he gripped her tightly, and made her feel safe and comforted through torrential days and everlasting nights. She remembered how gentle and good he was, how protective and kind when he remained her sturdy shoulder because she couldn't bare the weight of her problems alone. Mostly she remembered his love, how unconditional and irrevocable that love had gone without limits or questions. Never did he falter or break with the genuine love he had for her. She bit down hard on her lip, and felt the metallic flavor of blood flow between her sharp teeth that dulled the constricting pain in her heart. It wasn't until Liv shook her shoulders that she drew back from the comatose, paralyzed status she had been frozen to. Her eyes flickered back with life as she glanced dully towards her sister's cruel and poignant glare.

"I warned you," she began, her 'I told you so' lecture broken off by Mira's hand smacking across her cheek.

"Don't. Don't you dare say you warned me! I had to remember, you and I both know that. You did nothing to warn me about exactly what I would remember!" she could feel the hot sticky tears build up and slide down her cheeks. With a quick finger she dashed away the pesky evidence of her sorrows and clung to the backbone that still remained strong and sturdy through her core.

"You're not a zodiac anymore! Our affairs no longer concern or include you. Just give up this ridiculous dream of yours that this curse can be broken. It can't. It. Can't. You were lucky, take it as it is and get the hell out of Japan. Go back to the states Mira," Liv hissed as she flew up, knocking straight into Kanji's chest and letting out a frustrated screech between her clenched teeth before a cloud of smoke expanded across the room and a furious sparrow frittered up from the ground to perch against the backside of the couch.

_My sister is no longer apart of you, Mira. _

Swiping the salty globs of teardrops from her defined cheekbones, Mira's head snapped up, her bronze liquid eyes startled at the intelligent expression on the sparrows face.

_Yes, you can still hear me._

"Liv?" she asked, her voice scratchy and raw with affliction.

_She'll be alright. It's not my intentions to hurt her. I've hoped to speak to you for awhile, Liv doesn't make it easy. I am Gallius."_

For a split second, Mira nearly smiled at the sparrow. She highly doubted Liv made anything easy for anyone.

_You're learning too much, too quickly. Be very careful Mira. Our God is a desperate one, and that makes him dangerous. He won't appreciate if you figure out how to undo our bonds, if it's possible. Even my brothers and sisters are having doubts. Perhaps we deserve to pay for our sins for an eternity. _

"Not at the sacrifice of us," Mira warned thickly, her heart felt battered and bruised against a constricting rib cage as she hugged her arms close to her chest, goose bumps mottled across her olive skin.

_Hurry Mira, please, hurry. _

"I – I'm sorry, I can't, I don't," she whimpered as the sparrow spread his dark wings and noisily flapped out of the two story window, her words stuck in her throat as she hugged her knees close to her stomach. How could she function, how could she breath after what she remembered? "Kanji," she whispered hoarsely, "I need some time alone."

* * *

Tell me that someday you'll be returning  
And maybe, Maybe I'll believe  
It's just enough to see a shooting star  
To know you're never really far  
It's just enough to see a shooting star  
To know you're never really gone

* * *

Give me, Just one part of you to cling to  
And keep me, Everywhere you are  
It's just enough to steal my heart and run  
And fade out with the falling sun

* * *

The grass tipped with its decorative icing of frost crunched under her heavy feet as she clashed through the forest, her breath turning white before her eyes as she brushed back the thick foliage and forced herself to exhale and inhale calmly. In her hand she tightly clasped a boutique of red roses that nearly dragged against the long emerald blades surviving the first frost of the morning. Her cheeks were rosy red and her fingers numb to the touch by the time she stumbled through the brush to nearly land on the untidy and neglected garden hidden away from the rest of the world.

Her knees collapsed onto the ground, the grass shattering like glass under her weight as she placed the roses to her nose and inhaled deeply, her throat aching as she stiffened a sob and gasped deeply. "You promised to visit me, in the hospital. That's the first thing I remember about you. You made a promise," she smiled somberly, laying a single rose in the first row of the forgotten and lost garden, "And you kept it."

She laid a second rose down, and blinked back the tears, "And then you found me, after I transformed and was panicked out of my mind. You were so collected and understanding, I needed that. I needed someone to tell me everything was alright," and now, nothing would ever be alright again. She clutched the roses tightly, and inhaled to steady herself as she selected another one. "And this is for the time you said you'd always be there for me. I know you still are…somewhere, somewhere better than here. And you held me, and I felt anchored to the ground and safe," she placed the flower down gingerly, and rubbed her eyes quickly to chase away the tears.

Choking back the silent sobs, she ran the tips of her frozen bare fingers over the next rose, "This is for Valentine's Day," she inhaled the scent of the rose deeply, and sweetly smiled in remembrance, "When you asked me to be yours, and I said yes, yes I will." her hand trembled as she laid the rose down. She picked up the fourth one, and felt a shudder down her spine as it curled in quiet defeat, her face sinking into the despair of her shoulder as she took unsteady breaths, "For our first kiss in the hot springs," she gasped and selected another one, "For the patience it must have took to teach me how to garden, and sharing your secret spot with me…." a strangled laugh that ended up in a weak cry had her making a gurgling, drowning sound, "when your brother interrupted us," she added, tossing the rose down.

"For our first fight…which, was also your brothers fault," her shoulders trembled as her face clenched tightly to hold back the tears, her teeth nipping on her bottom lip as she tossed a sixth rose down, "And for when we made up after the argument. You gave me wild flowers, and they never lost their scent, and the bracelet never lost it's shine," her fingers trembled again as she laid the rose down with gentle care, afraid that the tips would break off against her bruising fingers.

She selected the seventh long stem rose and cherished it close to her heart, "This one's special, it's for the first time you said you loved me. I had never felt so special and wanted in the moments that those three perfect words came from you," she placed the rose down before she ended up crushing the stem in her grip. She wanted to hold on, hold on tightly to each flower so she could hold on tightly to Yuki. She was letting him go…it felt like she was letting her true love go with each rose, each memory perfect and painful.

"This is for when you asked me to marry you," she hiccuped and a tear slid down her cheek as she clutched the rose tightly, "I'll always love you, with each day, I swear, I'll love you more and more, babe." her teeth clanked against each other as she let a harsh sob pass through her congested chest, her fingers fumbling with the rose. She laid number eight right next to the ninth rose, because they belonged together, "and this is for our wedding, when you vowed to love me forever, and I vowed in return. I'm going to keep that vow, I promise. And that night – that night when you promised to protect me," she violently shuttered and clutched the tenth rose, slowly allowing it to feebly fall through her fingers. She held the eleventh rose to her nose for one last sweet smell, "And this is for when you set me free, even at the price of your life," and with a strength she hadn't known she could possess, she set the flower down on the last row so a line of eleven perfect red roses ran along the outside of his garden. All the muscles in her face trembled as she took the last rose of the dozen, its petals hard and jaded that glittered in the sunlight.

This rose would last for eternity, no time or weather could wither or deform it. The petals would never fall, the stem would never age and with each day it would grow more and more brilliant in the dazzling sun as she placed it above the rest of the roses, and finally allowed the dam of tears to break, her voice pitching with the tears, "And this is forever. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything, Yuki. For all the pain I've ever brought you in trying to love you. I'm sorry." Her knees were weak and her stomach sick inside as she rose above the scarlet jaded garden and hugged her arms close to her body, letting go with the rest of her pride as tears prickled down her cheeks and splattered against the roses laid out in a garden, kept fresh by the December air.

* * *

Hold me, Even though I know you're leaving  
And show me, All the reasons you would stay  
It's just enough to feel your breath on mine  
To warm my soul and ease my mind  
You've got to hold me and show me now

* * *

**Extended Authors Note: **Now that this sad chapter is out of the way...well, I can't promise I won't have more sad chapters in the future, but I don't think they'll be any more of a tear-jerker than this.


	13. Chapter 13: The Story of the Gods

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 13**: The Story of the Gods

**Authors Note**: I think this a big chapter that those of you who, are dying of curiosity with the curse, have been waiting for. I have up to Chapter Twenty Two figured out in my little rough draft outline. Anyone else frightened that I'm only that far?

While I doubt this will be another fifty chapter story…I do intend to make it more than twenty chapters! I don't know if fewer than thirty is possible for me. Anyways, read and review! I love hearing from you guys!

Gratitude especially goes towards LOSGAP and Pulchritudo in Omnia for all their reviews. I do love reviews. : )

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan and various other side characters such as Kanji Tanaka and Vivien Bontecou. I also do not own the legend of Izanaga and izanami, this is a real Japanese Mythology legend that I've tweaked at the end with the use of Awashima.

* * *

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without. ~Confucius, _Analects_

_The existence of exalted beings of divinity and godliness began with the first oral story passed down from generation through generation of two supreme beings in the heavens destined to populate and create the earth with their love and pureness. They are the origins of the heavenly family, celestial beings of power who've walked among the mortals and viewed with greatness from afar in the heavens. In creating this world, the God's summoned two of their most exalted beings – Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto. They were charged with creating the land and molding the earth, and to do so were presented with a divine offering of a naginata crested in royal jewels and bathed in golden sunlight, platted with all the riches and wonders of the world and was honored with the name of Amanonuboko, meaning heavenly jeweled spear. And heavenly it was, as Izanagi used to dip it's silver tip into the earth and stir up the first island of crusted earthly land rich in color and minerals in contrast to the endless cerulean blue seas. They formed the bridge between heaven and earth and continued to stir the waters, the salty droplets from the Amanonuboko dropping to the earth and spreading it's circumference of rings to create Onogoro – the island they first spread their glorious light on. They were creators, Izanagi and Izangami and with their holy naginata crested in royal divine jewels they built their home on the first island that came to be. Izanagi and Izanami fell madly in love through the spirit of their creations and being the two only divine beings on the earth. Soon the two heavenly powers wished to mate and thus a pillar of love was built and a palace that surrounded it. Izanagi and Izanami circled the pillar and entered through opposite doorsteps where the first mistake of the gods was created. In heavenly ritual it was Izanagi who should have spoken first in greeting, but izanami broke the celestial bondage and spoke in greeting before him. They mated anyways, despite knowing the grave mistake that had occurred. Their mistake festered in Izanami and she gave birth to two hideous creatures not fit for godliness, Hiruku and Awashmia. Disgusted by their disfigured forms, their boneless bodies that sunk to the ground and grayish skin, the absolute monstrosity they had created on their beautiful, perfect island Izanagi put his children on a boat and cast them off into the endless ocean. When Izangi and Izanami mated again, this time in properness of izanagi speaking first in greeting, they created eight perfect gods that went on to create more landscape of the earth. _

_But that is not the end of the story…. _

_Hiruku, born without bones from his mother's mistake struggled to survive in the torrent waves of the unforgivable sea. Eventually he was washed up on shore and was cared for by a kind fisherman. He formed legs and was able to limp his way around the dry land, and became known as the God Ebisu, a god of fortune and aspirations. But what of Awashmia? _

_He was not so fortunate, and the legends of the Gods have long forgotten and no longer contain the struggle and survival of the second cast of by Izanagi and Izanami. Unlike his brother who managed to obtain worship and godliness, Awashmia was forgotten by the culture and history of Japan. _

_

* * *

_

Mira snapped the tawny worn cover of the Japanese mythology book shut with a scowl as she noticed the shadow that flickered over the washed out cover, the book's hardships and age seen in the wrinkled white veins that ran over the rubbed raw covering, its edges shred and torn from misuse and neglect. She could relate. Her mind probably looked like the cover of the book, lacerated and punctured because of a family's carelessness, their abuse and neglect. She could tell by the tension frying in the air that Liv was back to try and rip words from her hoarse voice. Thing was, Mira no longer had anything to say. She was losing herself in the research, refusing to resurface for air in the real world where every breath hurt like hell. She just wanted to read her books, to find a few hours to sleep at night, to escape the pounding heartache with each beat. Oh god. She was never going to feel fixed again.

"Mira, this has got to stop," Liv threatened, swallowing dry air as she pushed herself forward to wrap her fingers tightly against Mira's shoulders, "Seriously, it's been almost a month. You need to snap out of it. I'm actually starting to freak out a little, and that's kind of a big deal for me," when she was met with silence, she nearly screamed to cover it up. She wanted to shake her sister by the shoulders, violent, aggressive, irritated shakes. "Damn it Mira!" she swore, pushing off her shoulders without getting a single reaction. That time she did let go a small, half shriek, half snarl between her clutched teeth. "I know you talk to Kanji! And you'll still acknowledge Vivien, so what the hell did I do? It's been a month. Talk to me damn it!"

She was met with silence, the stiff, formal type that she'd normally run into at a funeral or hearing bad news. The kind of silence that a person needed to break, but knew it was too inappropriate to. She should have tried harder to repress Mira's memories. She knew she had been right, right to protect her sister from the truth. The night she had found out she had vanished for hours, the longest freaking hours of Liv's life. And when she had returned, she was stiff and cold, silent and stony before locking herself in her room. Nothing had changed since then, she was still cold and silent, still stiff and stony.

"Come on Mira, talk to me," Liv begged, actually begged as she jerked the book out of her tight fingers and tossed it carelessly to the side. The book slammed against the ground, the pages fluttering open and the binding making a long rip sound that sizzled in the air. She turned back from staring at the book to see a purely outraged expression on Mira.

"DON'T." the force of the word startled even Mira as she bit her bottom lip and shoved her body out of the chair, pushing violently past Liv to snatch up the abused, neglected book and cradle it in her hands. "Just don't!"

Liv shut her mouth for a second, her brows furrowed in confusion as she placed her hands on her hips, "It's just a book, Mir…"

"It's more than that! It's me! It's me…" she tightened the book closer to her chest and stumbled back, pressed herself against the cool concrete wall of her room and firmly slammed her eyelids shut to welcome the darkness.

"You're pissing me off," Liv warned through gritted teeth, "I warned you. So you don't get to be pissed at me. You don't get to fuel that anger at me. You want to be pissed?" she snapped, throttling forward to grab Mira's shoulders and push her tighter against the wall, "You want to be angry?" she asked again, slamming the question into her sister's face. She could feel her blood vessels snapping in her eyeballs as she tightened her fists and held her sister there, fuming. "You want to channel all the hurt, all the pain? You want to be fucking mad, fine, you deserve to be fucking mad. You deserve to feel hurt, and want someone else to be in pain, but not at me. Not at me, Mira!" her fingers tightened harder as Mira struggled, both females nearly foaming at the mouths.

"I'm pissed at myself!" Mira heard herself shriek, and felt the possession of her body as she shoved Liv a good foot back and then brought her hand up to slap her.

In a flash, Liv caught Mira's wrist before that ugly red stinging mark could be burned onto her cheek. "Shit, Mira. If you're not pissed at me, don't slap me," Liv retorted, letting the trapped hand between her fingers go.

Liv's strangled voice nearly humored Mira as her hand dropped to her side, her brown curls shaking as she repressed the grin. Smiling wasn't allowed, she had absolutely no reason to express happiness. "Sorry."

"You think this is funny?" Liv snapped, seeing how her shoulders sagged up and down. "Seriously? Mir, you need professional help."

"I know," Mira sighed, and wrapped her arms thickly around her chest, book included, "But you love me anyways."

"I wouldn't go that far," Liv warned evenly, brushing her silky locks back and blocking the exit of the door with her willowy frame, "How much do you remember?"

With regret, Mira replied, "All of it." and she wished she didn't…she wished she had listened to Liv's warnings. It had been easy to pretend back when she was naïve, and hot tempered about being wronged and having her memories stolen that she could handle any pain that resurfaced. But now that it was her constant companion, she could recall every butterfly kiss, every comforting embrace, and every loving whisper in the cool darkness, well, it was driving her mad. It was a type of madness that came without a cure that had her doubting reality and priority. What was real, what mattered without him?

Nothing. That was the callously honest answer.

"Well, I hate to say it but…"

"Liv, I swear to God, if you say I told you so I will break every bone in your body," Mira warned darkly, her golden brown liquid eyes glaring under her thickly framed obsidian eyelashes that fluttered quickly.

"Sorry," Liv murmured stiffly, the uncomfortable silences was back as Mira went and plopped back down in the chair, licking her index finger before sliding through the alabaster pages of her book. Curious now, Liv stretched her neck over her shoulder, and began reading the words.

"Do you have to do that?" Mira asked sourly, snapping the book closed and shooting a scowl up at the imposition reading over her shoulder, "Pet peeve."

"Just curious," Liv remarked, twisting her slender neck to peer at the title of the book, "Don't you think finding an answer in a book would be too simple?"

"Who said I'm trying to break the curse?" Mira retorted, tapping her finger thoughtfully against the cover, "Maybe I'm more interested in the origin."

Liv made a humph sound, her eyes crossing darkly, "Some of us aren't so lucky as to magically wake up and be freed from the curse."

"I already told Kanji, I don't know how it happened, even with my memories," she felt a chill race down her spine as she locked eyes with her sister, "The last thing I remember is setting the table at home, listening to my mother's ramble about the new foal and my father complaining about crunching some man's numbers who had kept a poor record of all his bills. They were laughing and arguing, it was so obscenely normal that I felt uncomfortable. I left to grab some fresh air. I walked out to visit the gravesite of Belle, my horse. It was a full moon, so the marker really glittered under it. I spent a few minutes there and when I came back the dining room was trashed. My parents were bloody and dead on the floor and I had a scarf around my face before I could scream. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a hospital bed and the last two years of my life never happened."

"Just thought I'd ask," Liv replied, rubbing her tired eyelids as she backed silently out of the room, "Well, I hope you find whatever you're looking for."

Mira ran her fingers over the cover and smiled in the darkness, forgetting one of her rules, "Already have."

Maybe Mana hadn't always been so perfect and loved among his zodiac family. Maybe he had been a cast out too. And wouldn't that just really bite him in the ass?

It was that thought that had Mira smiling.


	14. Chapter 14: Down with the Dogs

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 14**: Down with the Dogs

**Authors Note**: Late update. Sorry everyone! I think I've used up my reasons and excuses so we'll just mark it down to picky temperamental writer unable to find a decent source of muse. That won't stop me though : ) I hope everyone enjoyed my little tale of the Gods in the last chapter. The mystery is far from over though! In fact, I have quite a few surprises for you. I promise though – this will not end like Lost – you will understand everything when I'm done.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan along with a number of other side characters I've created on their little quest in Unyielding Courage.

* * *

There are two freedoms - the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought. ~Charles Kingsley

Why hadn't she thought of doing this before? She needed answers; someone to fill in the gaps where her memories were lacking, a person who had witnessed the entire two years of her pathetic attempt to live under the Sohma's bent rules. Mira gentle eased the wood plying away from the frame and slipped noiselessly into the house she had known to be home for two years, where she had shared a room with Tohru and they had studied together, laughed together…often gossiped about Yuki and Kyo together.

It made her smile tightly, walking into the dining room, where she could almost smell the fresh aroma of Tohru's cooking, leaking through the kitchen with her happy crooked grin stretched across her face. Kyo would be bothering someone, it was impossible for him to sit still. She'd be crossing her legs under the table, moving her marker in a skills game against Yuki, which she would lose until he took some pity on her and allowed her to a less humiliating defeat. Nonetheless, it was still mortifying…but it was the thought that counted. He had always been thoughtful, so kind…. she felt the sob choke her throat as she stiffened and forced it away, reminded herself to be hollow and empty.

Wiping her sweaty hands on the frayed dark denim jeans hugging her slender hips, she diverted from the kitchen with all of its sensory memories, and avoided the upstairs like a plague. Instead she rounded to the office, and quietly teetered in to the empty room. The computer light was still glowing with an ethereal brightness, there were paperbacks shelved written by the devil of a man who had been their guardian. Papers had spilled over the side of the table, the back door from his office left open.

He had run. And as she picked up Mii's handbag, she knew what he was running from. The bloody bastard just couldn't make one damn deadline, could he?

"Coward," she huffed under her breath, placing the purse back on the corner of the table and going to sink into one of his plush chairs, her fingers folded together in her lap. She could be patient. She could wait. Unlike Mii, the poor woman, she had all the time in the world currently.

* * *

"I assure you, it will be finished by morning, yes, yes, of course, now go home, I was only teasing," Shigure Sohma backed his weepy editor out of the room with a stroke of charm in his voice, dark sympathy in his eyes and the malicious curl of a smirk on his lips that told otherwise of his good intentions to give his editor his new edition of a sequel tomorrow.

Tomorrow Mira's ass. Poor woman, she thought again as she sat present on the couch, silent as the unobservant, blinded man had yet to notice anything except his own freedom as he shut the door and gave a celebratory cheer and a pat on the back to himself.

"Why do you do that?" Mira interjected sharply from the couch, "You know it causes her nervous breakdowns."

The sound of a half drowned kitten gurgled from his lips in surprise as he spun around twice and smacked his elbow up against his book shelf.

Highly amused, Mira raised a thin eyebrow, her lips firmly cemented in a tight line as she crossed her arms against the couch and chortled, " Alright, let's have it. What did he tell you about me? Am I dead again? Because that one is getting old."

"Ah," Shigure cleared his throat as he edged to his desk and perched up against it, pallid in the skin as he glanced across the room to the embittered female. "No, not exactly…"

"A huh,"

He had to smirk at her obvious grunt of disbelief, his fingers swiping through his generous head of obsidian cilium, "We were informed to withhold you if you tried to contact any one of us though."

"Are you?" she asked curiously, her legs remaining steady as she folded them under her and into the plush chair.

"No," Shigure mused softly, brushing his knuckles against his chin in thought, "You're no longer a zodiac. It would have no purpose and Akito's reasons for wanting you are….distasteful."

She rolled her eyes at the last work, hunching her shoulders forward as she gracefully leapt up to stalk around him, "You wouldn't know anything about that first part, would you?"

"It's a mystery," he chirped up with a smile.

Her dark eyes narrowed into a glower as she angled her chin to the side and frowned, "Not for you, Shigure. What the hell is going on? What did he do? What did he do to me?" she shrieked out, furious at how calm and controlled he was. She wanted to pound her fist into something, break something apart before she shattered.

"No, not that mysterious, for me," he agreed, "how about a cup of tea?"

"Are you kidding me?" she snapped, "You're going to stand there and offer me a damn cup of tea?"

"Good conversations happen over cups of tea, Mira," he insisted deeply.

She scowled once, and then nodded. "Fine," her lips quipped into half a sarcastic smile, "But you can't boil water, so this should be highly amusing because I'm not making it."

"You're funeral," he hummed pleasingly before exiting the office.

* * *

Mira knew she was going to die sooner or later. It was nature, immortality was not for mortals, and the Gods have been foolish to ever promise such a gift. And yet, she thought she would have gone out in style considering her past two years. What kind of eulogy was presented to a woman who was poisoned by a cup of tea? To a woman who enjoyed life to the very last sip. She smartly waited for Shigure to digest the first sip before she brought the possibly acidic cup to her lips. Inhaling the spicy smoke, she breathed into the cinnamon tea sprinkled with lemon and gentle sighed into it as it slowly slid down her throat, burning.

"Okay," she sat the cup down thoughtfully, "It's half way decent. You can stop all the whining and crying that I'm mean to you. It's hardly the time for your usual antics Shigure," and they had made her laugh once…his antics had been highly amusing and teetering on adorable. But she had lost the laughter in her eyes, the appreciation for humor.

"A little acknowledgement is all I ask for," he defended while taking a healthy dose of his cup of tea, setting it down on the table before his eyes shinned bright and black, "You should know now, I can't tell you everything."

"Screw his obligations, Shigure," Mira snapped, slamming her tea onto the table so it sloshed it's hot liquids onto the smooth mahogany surface.

"Careful, that's expensive," he cried out, reaching for a napkin, "I was going to add I can't tell you everything, because I don't know it all," he whimpered in excuse.

Mira scowled as she accepted the napkins and gently swiped the soggy surface, "Fine, but you might want to open that up as your lead next time," she warned.

"Anyways, before I was rudely interrupted…"

She huffed in impatience, rolling her eyes.

"Are you going to keep doing that?" he asked, stopping suddenly in his speech.

"Stop what?"

"Telling a story is a grand art, one left for the brilliant and ingenious, a melodic tale of deception and honor that must be told with truth, dignity, and without rude interruptions!" he exclaimed proudly.

"Fine, but tell it today, please," Mira remarked hotly from her sea. Her impatience was coming to a boil.

"Thank you," he relaxed his shoulders again and pressed his cup of tea to his lips before beginning, "After the incidents of your encounter with Akito -,"

"You mean attack," she interrupted furiously.

He narrowed his eyes, and continued as he flashed his finger in warning for her to shut up, "What did I say? Anyways, he was very displeased, as I'm sure you can imagine. This wasn't your first offense, and Akito must have order and loyalty. You had…fallen from grace in his eyes. We have a solution in the Sohma family for when a zodiac becomes too unmanageable. I've only heard of it, I don't know the ritual or what must be given in order for it to work, but in our history there have been disturbances, breaks in the age pattern where another zodiac possession has passed prematurely from one Sohma to a younger one. It seems he grew tired of your antics…and Liv had twins."

"He transferred my curse to one of Liv's twins?" her jaw subtly dropped, while in the back of her mind she wondered how much hell Liv would rain down on her for this. It wasn't like she had…asked for it….

"In so many words, yes. It's not nearly as simple as you put it though," he reminded her, "I was as surprised as you were."

"You said it's happened before, who else? Akito's body is so frail, he's often so weak, which is why Hatori is constantly at the main estate. Why would a God want such an imperfect host?"

Shigure's finger trailed the edge of his tea cup before hesitantly locking eyes with her, "Your mother forced him into some…improvising."

"Could you give me one straight answer?" Mira snapped, sloshing her tea again as she shoved it away.

"I warned you that I don't know everything," Shigure retorted, "And ignoring a drink from a host is plain rude," he added as an afterthought.

"So is poisoning a guest," Mira replied ruefully before standing up and stretching her legs, "I've got one last question, and I'm not saying I actually believe your little tale on how I was rid of the curse, because unless both twins are cursed, and I don't believe they are, we're still missing a zodiac," she looked for Shigure for clarification, but he remained so deep rooted in pretend thought, that she could tell it he wouldn't deny or confirm, "Why are you still allowed to live here? Last time I checked, all the zodiacs were forced into the main estate."

Shigure smiled smugly from his chair, "its more banishment to keep me here than in the estate, alone. Not all of us are so resistant, Mira. Call it a curse, but it wasn't always meant to be that way. At once, it was a gift."

"Taking away someone's freedom, is never a gift," she snapped before flinging around on her heels to fly out the front door and leave before he called in the cavalry.

* * *

Effortlessly, Shigure roamed up from the table to pick up the phone and slowly dial the number for the main house, Akito's frail and sickly voice trembling through the line.

"You have news?"

"She came, just as you thought she would. I told her what you wanted."

"Good. I see you're not as worthless as I had originally imagined."

"Hardly," Shigure barked a healthy dose of laughter across the line.

"If she returns again, and she has Liv, make sure this call happens a little earlier. I miss my wife," he snapped impatiently across the line, the voice brewing with something darker, more sinister than Akito's feeble human voice.

"It's only to be assumed," Shigure assured before clicking off.


	15. Chapter 15: Of Blood and Flesh

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 15**: Of Blood and Flesh

**Authors Note**: I don't even want to think about how long it was that I last updated. My only excuse is life and college and moving. I really would like to finish this story even though I feel a bit rusty. Here's a chapter I am sure has been long awaited! Hopefully I can keep them coming out now.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan along with a number of other side characters I've created on their little quest in Unyielding Courage.

* * *

Answers led only to more questions.

She was growing tediously tired of the chasing, of the mind numbing hair pulling early morning rousing's, where she rested away from the world, her mind throbbing as she tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together. There were too many that fit in a perfect coincidence, from ill-sought out sources, and too many that seemed to oddly stick out at the ends, when she knew deep down in her gut that it was important. Liv had twins. Liv had abandoned her children. That didn't make sense, her sister was sour and unmanageable and hard to deal with, but she was loyal to a fault when it came to her family. She wouldn't have turned against her own blood. But there were pieces missing, and she was losing focus. With each passing day that went without answers and she gained more questions she forgot the enemy, she forgot Mana and remembered only Akito.

Akito, the sickly boy who was frail and falling apart. Akito, her sister's husband who had a cruel and hard hand against her. How was it that Mana managed to do anything in that dying shriveled body? How was it that Mana managed to keep them all together, tied in their bonds for an eternity when their human hosts couldn't contain all that raw power that strummed through him? In the darkness of that room, Mira thought she had the answer. It all started and ended in the same place.

Blood. Dripping, oozing blood that gushed crimson. Thick blood, that kept the binds together, that made family what was family. The image of her adoptive parents flashed in her head. Blood splattered across the kitchen. Blood gushing out of her mother. Blood stained on her hands as she tried to feel for the pulse in her swan neck. She let out a small weak cry in the night, startled up as she glanced around, captivated and terrorized by the shadows against her walls. For a moment her heart pounded as she quickly looked towards the door. When it didn't slam open, she let out a feeble, shaky breath. He wasn't going to know when she stumbled on the answer. He wouldn't.

He was just an outcast. He wasn't really god, not a strong god anyway. He was weak and dying in that human body. And soon he would need a new body.

* * *

"You seem eager this morning," Liv rose an eyebrow as she remained seated at the counter, examining her sister's fresh, lively face at six thirty in the morning. It was times like these she really could despise Mira – all perky and awake when she should be as tired as the rest of them.

Mira threw a smirk over her shoulder as she grabbed her coat and jammed her arms through it, "Kanji and I are breaking into the Sohma cemetery." She retorted with a wide brimming smile. Liv nearly smacked herself with a spoon that had cereal going to her mouth as her jaw remained unhinged.

"Sorry, thought you said you were _breaking into a bloody tomb_." She snarled, jesus something was seriously, clinically, wrong with her and they were twins, they shared related genetics.

"I did," she rushed over to grab a drink of Liv's coffee, ignoring the protest as she drenched the hot contents into her throat and nearly gaged on it. Black as sin. As she should have known. "That's disgusting"

"No, breaking into the dead is disgusting," Liv swiveled around on the seat to stare at her sister, "What on earth do you expect to find there?"

"Bones, and maybe something else," Mira retorted, spinning a smile on her face as she quickly left through the doors. Kanji was prompt outside, leaning against the building with a dark, shadowy smile on his face. A glint of light gleamed onto his face, reflecting a cool look in his eyes as he cast a suspicious expression over his shoulder and through the doors where Vivian had waltzed out to start setting out napkins. He had on his typical dark trench coat, a few buttons popped open that exposed a navy blue shirt underneath. He checked his watch for the time as they both started to walk down the cleared street.

"Ready to play grave digger?" he asked, looking over his shoulder once more. It put Mira on edge as she gave him a glaring expression.

"Nobody is following us, yet. So stop doing that," she miffed, narrowing her eyes as they continued to walk down the street. She stopped only once, digging in her hands for a peppermint as they passed one of the cart horses. The big brown one – as Kanju called him, gave a sweet low nicker and lapped up the mint from her hand. He had eerie eyes that reflected a graveness she had never seen in a horse, or any other animal before.

"You miss them," he stated, watching her flatten her hand and swipe it slowly down his massive, muscular furry neck before patting him twice and stepping away from the curb. The sound of his whinny grabbed and tore at her heart as she walked away next to Kanji.

Her voice broke only once as she nodded and confessed, "As much as I miss myself." And that was the end of that conversation. The two walked in absolute silence for the rest of the morning.

* * *

"How do we get in?" she narrowed her eyes at the crypt, and its white bleached doors. It seemed rude to take an axe, or any other blunt weapon to the fine craftsmanship.

"Easy," Kanji slipped his hand into his pocket, pulled out a key and slid it into the doors. Mira narrowed her eyes as she starred in astonishment and jealousy at him.

"How'd you get that? I want one," she mumbled as she stood off to the side. What did she bring to their teamwork? Snide comments and complaints most likely.

"Just got it, now shut up and help me swing it open," they both grunted as they wedged the door wide open, sweat trickling down Mira's forehead under the burning sun. She could smell the labors of their work as they finally pried the ancient door open. "Ready?" He asked, turning to Mira.

_For eternity, it seems. _"Ready" she replied, and followed him into the darkness. It was cool and balmy as they followed the uncharted hallway into the crept, where Kanji had to utilize all of his muscles to crank the flat door open where stairs spiraled down.

"Careful" He mumbled as she started the descent.

"If I fall," she eyed him cautiously as she went, "Don't you dare leave me down here. I refuse to be buried with these," she let out a hard groan of effort, as she scaled down the slippery wall, "manipulative, murderous people" that was family for you. She let out a last gruff moan of effort as her feet felt solid ground. Thank god. Kanji followed shortly, his hair swept over his eyes as he flicked on a flashlight and the tiny crooked hallway was illuminated. Dust fell from the cracks in the ceiling and tombs were piled deep in the walls with the names of Sohma glittering in plates on the coffins.

"Lets get to work, call out if you find something useful" Kanji ordered, and they both delved into the reading of the caskets. Hours seemed to pass, they might have gone on longer if a sudden thud from upstairs hadn't yanked Mira from her work. She shuddered and jumped at the sound, and out of nerves went to check the door to the fresh air and outside world that she had checked maybe half a dozen times until Kanji had yelled at her. _Its not going bloody anywhere _he had shouted, and she had relented. This time she swore she heard something though. Where the familiar shade of light should have fallen, it was dark and dusty though. Her heart jammed into her chest as panic inflated her chest. "KANJI!" she screamed his name as she glanced up at the closed surface. "GET OVER HERE" oh god. Oh god. Oh god. She was not going to die down here with Kanji and her relatives. That was too cruel.

"Shit" he frowned as he starred at the door, "The wind maybe…"

"There was no wind," Mira retorted dully, her eyes burned as she stared up at the closed, solid surface. "And the only other person who knew we were here today…"she paused, and a thought broke her concentration.

Blood was thick. Family was life or death. Liv would never abandon her family, for how cold and how callous she seemed, blood was everything. And Liv now had family closer to her, than her own flesh and her own blood of a sister.

She had children. And a mother would do anything for her children.


	16. Chapter 16: An Unpaid Debt

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 16**: An Unpaid Debt

**Authors Note**: Impressively, I am getting two chapters out in consecutive days! For all my new and all my old readers who have troubled themselves to come this far on Mira and Liv's adventure with the Sohma's – thank you. As always I wouldn't be writing still if it wasn't for you.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However, my dear little Mira Liore Nolan is mine and mine alone along with the lovely Liv Cyrene Nolan along with a number of other side characters I've created on their little quest in Unyielding Courage.

* * *

"Do you think we have much time?" Maeko's dark almond eyes starred into the shadows of the young, troubled master of the house. His hands rubbed over his wary face, knotting his fingers into his limp onyx hair as he rested his body next to hers. Their chests rose in the same rhythmic inhales and exhales, and the scent of sandalwood wafted from his creamy skin. He admired the soft feel of her hands as he wrapped his fingers around hers, ignoring the callused marks, and the tight bruises that had been caused by his own hands.

Not his hands though – not his will. It wasn't his fault. He would never hurt her; he never would have hurt any of them if it had been his choice. "He's troubled. When he's troubled he usually leaves me be for awhile," Akito mumbled, his eyes glinted as he starred across the small width of the bed to stare at her glowing, beautiful face.

"I don't want him to take you again," she whispered, a stray tear sliding down her cheek. He caught it with the tip fo his finger, and smiled shyly in the darkness.

"Maeko," he whispered her name gently in the darkness and the comfort of night, "He can never take me from you. I am yours, as I have always been," he promised. He remembered the girl who had been his servant as a child, how she had been clumsy and naïve, and he had loved her company. She had never known him as a master of the house. The first time she had spoken her mind to him, luckily Mana had been troubled then too, or surely she wouldn't still be here. The god didn't find disobedience as charming as Akito did.

A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips as she leaned over, brushed her cold mouth against his to warm them on a kiss, "I love you," she reminded him, a heavy weight settling in her heart. "Don't disappear again."

But it was a useless plea, he always was summoned away and her cold, distant master would return. He would ignore her existence completely, and she would love from afar, this boy who was trapped by the claws of a God. Fight it; she had begged him in the past. Fight the God, she had foolishly pleaded and it had destroyed him to try and to fail. Her brave Akito, trying to fight against the strength of an angry God.

"I'm here now," He comforted her the best he could, his hand clutched onto her small fingers. They flexed and tightened and then loosened into a clammy coldness. When she glanced over she watched his eyes harden and slinked out of the bed like a beaten animal, suffered and broken at the hands of her loved master.

He was gone again.

* * *

"You've displeased me Hatori," Man tapped his fingers against the base of the wooded floor, his eyes slanted over the fragile beam of light that fluttered through the window and onto the scarred face of his trusted advisor.

_Not sure why you sound surprised, everyone displeases you. _His fingers curled into a tight fist, his knuckles cracked in temper as the annoying person he shared this body with quipped on the inside, "Where is the girl."

"She hasn't been seen," Hatori remained statuesque, his one good eye blinked at the God.

"I see. She hasn't been seen. And how is it, that a stupid, silly little girl is managing to out maneuver us?" he was surrounded by incompetence; the agitation festered tightly in his chest.

Hatori shifted as he bowed his head lightly out of respect, "Kanji has been helping her, last we heard they were inspecting the Sohma crypt but when we went there all the doors were closed and it was quiet and empty," he explained, his throat constricted.

From the doorway there was the sound of water sloshing over the rim. Mana flickered is eyes to the little servant, her big almond eyes starring over at them. Hatori cleared his throat as he mentioned Akito's name quietly to spare her.

"You girl. Does our conversation interest you?" he asked coldly.

Maeko shook as she bowed her head low, "N-No sir. My a-apologizes," she stumbled over the words, a rouge coloring flush on her cheeks as panic swamped her heart.

"Get out of my sight," he hissed, and watched her turn on her heels and run. His attention turned back bitterly to the disappointment in front of him.

* * *

"Maeko! Maeko where are you going?" The head servant called after the girl as she stood in the kitchen, apron dusty with flour that spotted her blouse and face. She snarled as the girl raced past her on her heels, black hair whipped like a ribbon in the wind.

She didn't stop running until she was out of the Sohma property, and only then did she bend over and gasp for air. Her eyes wide and frantic as she glanced back at the property. "What am I doing?" she whispered as she turned away from the only home she had ever known – and walked away.

It was insanity; it was acting off a broken heart. It was…Maeko didn't know what to call it. She was being foolish and thoughtless as she followed the path to the Sohma's buried and their deceased. She remembered the man she had saved, it seemed her intentions hadn't done him any good if he was still being hunted.

The hunter being hunted – it must have been quite the game of cat and mouse.

Maeko felt foolish as she came to the cemetery, the winds whipped around her cringing body as she walked against the hallowed, sacred ground. The Sohma crypt was ancient, and beautiful in it's gates to hell or heaven – she supposed it depended on the individual who passed through its dark stained doors. She pushed lightly against the ancient crypt; the doors gave a weak moan and edged open a sliver to allow her nimble body to slide through.

Footprints had settled on the dusty ground, she could see where fingermarks had groped at the doors and human life had once existed. _Stupid Maeko, turn back now. You won't find help from the dead. _

Her common sense was ignored though, and she leaned down and gripped the old worn door into the underground and gave a heave. It seemed to pull against her and she groaned as her muscles throbbed in her arms and lower back, pinching against her neck as she yanked again. Sweat pooled down the back of her neck as she moaned under strained effort. From below she heard the scurrying of life – rats with glowing ruby red eyes or worse. _What could be worse? Don't think about it Maeko. _

What was the hunter after? She tensed her face tightly as she gave a final yank. The doors seemed to cave for a moment, and then spring open against her hands. One of her fingers crunched under the dead weight of the door and she cried out in alarm at the shocking pain and then numbness as she yanked it out and cradled it against her chest.

Two eyes glittered in the darkness, and suddenly a curly brown haired woman popped her head up. "Who the hell are you?"

A savior, Mira had declared when the door was being shoved open and light and dust scattered through – a savior or a demon. Either way she was getting out of the crypt. Kanji had held his treasured handgun, stroking the metal barrel as they waited.

Instead an unlikely woman was kneeling there, she had let out a screech when Mira's head popped up into the light and had scooted back a few feet, until her back hit the wall. "W-What. Who are you?" she gasped, starring at the crypt. "How long have you been down there?"

"Lost count at sixteen hours," Mira retorted as she yanked herself up and then held a hand down. A man grunted and then Kanji appeared. He looked over at the woman, and then raised an eyebrow.

"Now isn't this curious," He muttered, shoving his gun back into the holster as he approached the young girl, "Maeko, right?"

She gulped hard and nodded, "You remembered my name?"

"I make a habit to remember those who I owe a debt to," he replied, shoving the doors closed with his foot.

"What debt? Who is she?" Mira asked curiously, her lips tightly clenched together.

Maeko swallowed dryly as she stumbled up to her feet, "My name is Maeko, I am – or was a servant of the Sohma house. And if you mean it about that debt…I could use your help," she took a shaky breath as she starred at them, "I need to kill a God."

Kanji snorted and rolled his eyes as he glared at the two women, "Of course you do. That's the demand these days," he snarled, walking out of the crypt.

Mira smirked as she walked forward, put her hand lightly on Maeko's back, "Just so happens we're in the business. Do tell on why you want him killed though," she prompted.

Maeko's eyes darkened, as sharp as the edge of a dagger as she let out a crude suspire, "So I can have the man I love back."

It all came back to that, didn't it? Love.

For a tiny moment, Mira was envious of the hope flutteringly dangerously in her eyes and wished she too, was killing a God to have the man she loved back instead of avenging him.


	17. Chapter 17: The Traitors Call

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 17**: The Traitor's Call

**Authors Note**: Hey guys! Sorry this one is a bit late – I had visitors staying over and then I'm not working off a rough draft of chapters like I was with Unbreakable Strength so…I really need to do that because right now I'm sort of just winging it. Which is terrifying. Absolutely terrifying and I apologize about what you're probably about to read right now.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However Mira, Liv, Maeko, Kanji, Vivie and a few other repeating characters in the series are my own creation and belong to me.

* * *

"I refuse to believe that door slammed in on itself. We were inside, there is no plausible explanation to explain it," Kanji shifted uncomfortably in the diner, he eyed the owner of the little store. Vivie fluttered her eyelashes and smirked as she waltzed through the swinging pair of doors into the kitchen, "And I don't like how many people know about this either, I didn't stay under the Sohma's radar by making friends."

Liv snorted as she cleared one of the tables, she craned her neck over to raise a steady eye brow at him, "You're chasing a thousand year old story, to kill a god because he enslaved twelve animal souls into unsuspecting people – start believing in implausible explanations."

"She has a point," Mira retorted as she helped Vivie with restocking the front of the small café, stacking up the lids of the coffee cups meticulously while Kanji continued to sulk. Maeko had dropped into a dead slumber on their couch nearly fourteen hours ago, and hadn't risen since.

"You should be kind to that poor girl and check on her," Vivie suggested as she walked in, sniping towards Kanji, "She saved your lives. A pity that slab of rock didn't fall on your head Kanji, it might make you more civil."

Kanji snorted at that, causing Mira to think nothing would make him more civil.

"She has a point though, you should go check on her," Mira retorted, craning her neck to stare at the silent stairs, where the girl hadn't made a sound since collapsing into sleep.

"Why me?" He grumbled as he bawled up his napkin into a tight ball and tossed it into the trash can, six feet away.

"I'm busy, Mira is busy and Liv would scare her even more," Vivie retorted snidely, holding her nose up in the air as she passed him, "And you're using up my supplies. Napkins are not free."

"Fine," he snapped, lifting himself up from the chair and sulking up the stairs.

* * *

Maeko stared dejectedly into the mirror as she hastily rubbed at the dark circles under her eyes, her breath felt shallow and clammy and her hands trembled as she turned from the sink. The man leaning up against the door frame frightened her as she turned around. She let out a quick gasp of shock, clutching her throat, and for a moment waited for the slap that would have come if she had been at the Sohma place, taking time to look at herself in the mirror.

"We were worried," he explained, and then quickly amended, "Well, Vivie was worried."

"Oh," she struggled to say something as she awkwardly blinked and rested back against the sink. She absently pulled at one of her raven dark curls while starring back at him, "You can tell her I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

She had been starring down at her own bare feet, but his sharp demand brought her face blushing back up to him, she stammered as she rested back against the sink, "The Sohma's worked me hard, I'm just tired."

He shook his head strongly, and wondered just what secrets, Sohma secrets, she had been forced to keep working at the main house. "Do you realize what they will do if they find you?"

"Either erase my memory or kill me," she trembled at both prospects, "I don't plan on them finding me though," they didn't deserve her memories or her life. They didn't deserve anything else from her.

"You might not have a choice, what we're doing is dangerous. We're going up against a powerful family," he warned her sharply.

This time, Maeko shrugged. "The family isn't nearly as powerful as the God. I'd worry more about him," she suggested tartly, "In any case, you don't have to worry about me. I'll watch out for myself, I always have."

"Your parents –,"

"Are dead," she cut him off hastily, brushing her hand against her arm, "They both died, from accidents, and I will hold the Sohma's responsible for that. They've taken everything from me," _they can't take Akito too! _

"Alright, just so you know what you're getting yourself into," he warned, shrugging off the door frame and leaving here there to process everything he had warned her of.

* * *

He hesitated at the door, hearing other voices, that caused him concern as he pressed his ear up against the door, and listened to Vivie's obnoxious flirtatious laughter fill the air.

"I am going to get you into trouble," she warned the boy, smiling as she leaned against the opposite side of the counter. He shrugged, his blonde hair in curls dripped down over his eyes, and she wanted so much to tangle her fingers through it.

"Trouble can be fun," he replied, grinning with a sparkle in his baby blue eyes. Vivie laughed and clapped her hands.

"What happened to that tall, serious looking man who usually comes with you? Hmm? He doesn't find trouble to be fun," she tisked at him, fluttering her lashes as she continued to half dangle off the counter.

The blonde haired boy smiled, and laughed lightly as she mentioned Hatori, "He's too serious for his own good. You need to have fun while you can, right?" he grinned, his philosophy of life.

"I think I'd like to have fun with you quite a bit, Momiji," she agreed with a frank smile, "but are you worth the trouble of the fun? Hmm?"

He grinned, leaning up against the counter, their noses practically touching, "Oui," he whispered, and her lips curled into a bold smile. She was leaning into press them against his when the door opened and Kanji stepped out.

"What do you want Sohma?" he asked, barreling towards the boy with a dangerous glint.

Vivie snarled from across the counter when he snapped his head away to stare at the bulky, tall man. "You leave my customer's alone!" She warned with a hysteric edge to her voice.

"Kanji! He's fine! Momiji is fine!" Mira ran out from the kitchen, breathless as she hopped the counter and got in between them, "He's not going to report anything back to Hatori or Akito. Right Momiji?"

Momiji quickly shook his head from the opposite end. Vivie was dashing around the counter as quickly as she could, "He's not like the tall boring man," she pouted, and before either Mira, or Momiji could warn her – tossed her arms around the boy.

There was the puff of smoke, that drew Liv from behind the wall, and all four of them starred down at the rabbit. Vivie seemed to stutter for a moment. "He…I….Just…Rabbit," she ended, and then went off muttering something in French as she slumped to the floor to touch the soft golden hairs of the animal.

"Well done Kanji," Liv applauded from the doorway, before rolling her eyes and vanishing back into the kitchen. He narrowed his eyes at her as she disappeared.

Mira was failing in consoling Vivie against the floor, "He's fine, he'll turn back, its what we do," she promised, smiling as Vivie turned and stared incredulously at her.

"He…He turns back? You are sure? I do not want to flirt with a rabbit. It isn't as much fun," she pouted again, starring at Momiji as she held the rabbit in her arms. Momiji seemed content to cuddle there with a bright look in his eyes.

"Why on earth is Momiji here?" Liv snapped into the phone, her eyes tense against the numbers, as she scowled, "Aren't I doing enough?"

There was shouting on the other line, she tensed as she listened to it before snapping back, "I told you they were at the cemetery, it's your own damn fault for locking them in the crypt instead of pulling them out. How was I supposed to know whoever you sent was a moron?"

"So it was you," the voice darkened from behind her. Liv swirled around and slammed the phone down in a panic. She starred at Kanji as her face drained of color.

"I can explain."

"You better do more than that," he suggested gruffly, "You better do a hell of a lot more than that."

Her face went tight as she slammed her hand down on the table, her eyes burning as she glanced up at him. From the other room she heard the obnoxious pop of their curse sounding and Vivie's squeal as they rushed to find Momiji his clothes. "I know it doesn't look like it, but I'm trying to help you out."

"Sure you are sweetheart," Kanji snapped, and before Liv could protest he was bending her arm behind her back, slapping on a cold set of cuffs, "We just don't need your kind of help."

"You're making a mistake," Liv warned with a bite in her tone as he held a tight hand against her shoulder, "I'm doing the best I can damn it!"

"Somehow I doubt that," Kanji snarled, and kept the cuffs fitted tightly to her wrists.


	18. Chapter 18: The Comfort of Lies

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 18**: The Comfort of Lies

**Authors Note**: I apologize again for not having a layout – I'm basically just. Spontaous writing which tends to be kind of ugly and not very conforming to the plot layout which for right now is okay because I haven't finished the plot layout / fails.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However Mira, Liv, Maeko, Kanji, Vivie and a few other repeating characters in the series are my own creation and belong to me.

* * *

"Liv would never betray us!" there were tears peppered in Mira's eyes as she argued back, red in the face from the irate fury that lashed there. Her hands gripped the back of one of the high counter chairs as she starred at Kanji, daring him to take back his words.

"I caught her on the phone, discussing our latest trip to the cemetery. I can only imagine who would find that conversation fascinating," Kanji replied calmly back. He stretched out across the old fashioned parlor, the cherry wood flooring scuffed under his brown leather shoes as he rose a hand to shift the dark onyx curls along his tall widow's peak – hidden usually by a few absent obsidian tresses. "I'm sorry Mira. Your sister was working against us."

The truth was so painful; it drove a spike through her gut and twisted here, suffocating her with the knowledge. The lies were so much less painful. Weren't they always? Wasn't every lie in her life less painful than the truth? How could Mira demand the truth when she preferred the lie? She preferred the life where she had lived with her foster parents, thinking they were her own flesh and blood, where she had the wide open blue skies and the soft green blades of emerald rolling hills. Where she had been riding horses and running with the winds – defying gravity. She had preferred the lie when Yuki had told her everything would be alright, the last time he had kissed her with the wedding band still fresh on her finger. She hated the truth. She wanted to crush it in her grip and spit on the harm and hurt it brought.

And yet she chased it with every forced breath. She chased it as it was her future, her tomorrow. It was the only way to continue, to find the gilded truth and learn how to defeat Mana.

"Mira. I know it's difficult. She's your sister, I considered so many of the Sohma's family and then they stood by and just watched as my daughter and wife were taken from me," his voice grumbled with a vulnerability Mira had never heard from him before. She stopped gripping the chair so tightly and let go.

"I never thought about that, Kanji," Mira sighed as she starred down at her toes for a minute, grateful she was still intact enough to feel guilty, to feel for another person. "I have to talk to her though. You know I need an explanation."

Kanji sorrowfully nodded, though added that he doubted any explanation, would do justice for turning against a sister's truth.

* * *

"Cuffs look nice," Mira complimented as she walked into the room, arching a fine eyebrow as her sister scowled. Her eyes were red and she could see Liv had the decency to at least have been crying down here. For herself or for a more noble purpose though, Mira couldn't have said right at that moment. She trusted her sister as far as she could throw her.

Liv scowled as she jingled her chains, "You're making a mistake Mira," She warned vigorously. Mira poised an eyebrow as she sunk into the opposite chair. "So you weren't calling the Sohma's to tell them about us?" She asked tartly, her bitterness could not be tamed.

"They have my babies," the voice was more than broken – it was shattered beyond repair. And the tears that slid down from Liv's swollen, grieving face dropped onto the ground one by one. Their echo seemed to explode and crash into the room, and Mira couldn't focus on anything but those precious salty tears for a moment.

"Your -," she halted for a moment, "Jesus Liv," she finally whispered, sinking deeply into the chair.

Liv gasped for a breath through her tears, as she struggled with the chains, "My babies. My beautiful babies that are Hatori's, that were supposed to be mine and his and our family. And he's threatening to use them for the next zodiac banquet."

"Why the banquet?" Mira narrowed her eyes, chewing on her bottom lip as she starred at the exposed Liv Nolan, who had never cried in front of her before.

Liv choked on her own breath as she starred at her, red rimmed eyes glowing with disgust, "He wants to strengthen the damn curse. With blood of his blood."

For a moment there was only the crush of silence, it wore down on both of them, pressing its weight into their shoulders.

"Liv I didn't know," Mira whispered quietly, her own eyes teary, "I'm sorry. I didn't know. And that's horrible, but why couldn't you have told us? How could you still feed me to them?"

"I DIDN'T YOU SELFISH BITCH," she screeched suddenly, thrashing against the chair with her cuffs as she snarled and breathed in heavily, her face bright red, "YOU ALWAYS THINK OF YOUR FUCKING SELF."

And then she collapsed against the chair, as if all the energy had been beaten out of her with that single explosion.

Mira stood up, shaking as she gave her sister a withering look, "I'm not cursed anymore, I could just go back home, work at my mother's barn, lead a normal life and forget these four years ever happened. But I'm not. I'm here, and I'm fighting. For you."

She walked away, leaving her sister weeping in the darkness, that sound crept up and echoed hollowly in her ears as a horrible reminder of another victim of Manas.

* * *

"We could break the kids out?" Mira suggested with a loud sigh.

"Do you know how to take care of two kids? Sorry. Two infants?" Kanji asked with a snort. Mira shook her head and blew out air loudly as an answer. No. unfortunately she did not know how to take care of babies.

"You would never get to them," Maeko replied sadly, "Hatori takes care of the one, and the other one has vanished. Nobody knows where Mana is keeping him or who is looking after him. Most do not wish to know," she added sadly, flickering her eyes away.

Vivie pouted as she leaned across the table, "Well we can't keep her in my cellar forever. I need that for storage. What if the inspector comes through? I can't explain a hand cuffed maiden there." As she pouted Momiji nodded with her, occasionally blinded by the blonde curls that fell between his eyes.

"Why is he still here?" Kanji asked, narrowing a suspicious glance.

Momiji flickered a charming smile as he stretched out in the booth, "I'm helping! I report back to Hatori and tell him lies, I've been doing it for a month."

"Sorry," Mira sputtered, starring over at him, "Thought you said you've been doing this for a moment."

Vivie shrugged, "That man kept coming around, scaring my customers. So I convinced Momiji to join the rebels," she grinned and winked at the boy, sharing a flirtatious smile. Mira rolled her eyes as a headache started to thunder in her temple.

"We can decide what to do with Liv later, what we need to decide is what's our next move. We can't just keep sitting here waiting for something to happen," Mira snarled, slamming her fist on the ground. Maeko glanced at her from the table, her lips pursing together. "There is a place in the main estate that may be worth going, it is always locked and only Akito goes there. Akito once told me that the room was very important to the God, he even tries to keep Akito from knowing what is in it. How he accomplishes that, I do not know. It would involve us going back though."

"Seems like we don't have a choice," Kanji thundered darkly from the table. Mira nodded strongly next to him.

She had always known that this task would be dangerous, and it would involve going back – to where it had all started. And that, quite frankly terrified her.


	19. Chapter 19: Reawakening

**Title**: Unyielding Courage

**Chapter 19**: Reawakening

**Authors Note**: Hey guys! Sorry for the hiatus, I've got a second project I am working on and it is sucking up a lot of my time. As I have always promised, this story will be finished. I'm putting it a bit on the fast lane, and there will only be four more chapters (including this one) and an epilogue to wrap up everything I want closed. I'd like to do it properly, but I have too much going on and I feel Mira and Liv deserve to have their story finally come to a close. I've pretty much been excited to write this chapter since i started Unyielding Courage - so i really hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the characters. However Mira, Liv, Maeko, Kanji, Vivie and a few other repeating characters in the series are my own creation and belong to me.

* * *

Their fates rested on one night. Uneasiness settled into the small group, knowing that after the months and years of torment they had each individually faced it would soon be over. One way or another, it would be over. Mira was tired. No, she was more than just 'tired', she was exhausted to the bone. Her heart ached, the numbness had worn away and she was left with the grief. It was a constant echo, reminding her of everything she had lost. With each pulse and each beat the blood seemed to grow thicker, pounding in her head. She could feel it, hot and boiling – the temperature never chilled. God, she was so ready for it to be over, and for the God to finally play his last card. She would send that bastard home, one way or another.

Shadows flickered over their ominous, serious set faces. Maeko led the way with Kanji swiftly at her side. Liv trudged behind both of them, her hands still clasped in handcuffs behind her back. And Mira brought up the rear; her eyes were wide as she traced the outline of her sister's back. Liv had yet to speak to them, her muteness thrilled Kanji, and disheartened Mira at the same time. She never had the opportunity to ask Liv how she felt about finishing it all tonight; she imagined it would have been colorful. As it was, her sister had refused to utter a single word to them, cast off on her own in a self-disciplined silence.

Maybe she was used to it. After all, Mira had never grasped how it must have felt to be at the hands of a God for so long. Her only company for months had been Mana and his fits of rage, cold and delivering glares. She'd never know the silence that Liv must have had to adjust too.

Leaves crunched under her feet as she walked, her breath formed as a cold white wisp from her lips as she tightened her jacket around her body. From up ahead Maeko whispered urgently that they were nearing the wall. It loomed tall and foreboding…protecting those inside or keeping the evil in? She could hear Maeko whisper urgently, they had to move – find a way to scale the wall or unlock one of the gates. It gave her cause to remember her last visit, the escape…

"There's another way," she whispered, soft under the moonlight. Maeko and Kanji both stopped, they twisted to stare at her. Liv remained stationary, not even flinching.

"Where?" his voice was rusty and thick as he continued to stare at the sturdy wood that kept them separate from the beast. Mira nodded numbly as she walked up, her hands cold as she blew warm air into her palms and began to pull apart the foliage of thick bushes. It took a good ten minutes, running her hands under the thorny, prickly vegetation until she found the small opening.

"This way," she mumbled, ducking through the hole as the others followed. She came out the other side, feeling like Alice tumbling out of the rabbit hole. Everything was different, the moonlight seemed far more eerie, the tiny houses haunting in the truth they held. It was a separate world here, kept imprisoned by a lonely and territorial god.

* * *

"We are all going to die," a soft, feminine voice sounded. It was weak, and throaty. Kanji and Mira turned to stare shocked, at Liv's troubled face. Her skin seemed paler under the moonlight, cheeks dented in. She looked, and felt frail.

Death no longer bothered her. She had spent several hours debating on if she was prepared to leave or not. At this point she knew she had the most to loose, and the most to gain. She loved her tiny little infants, with their perfect faces and small, pudgy hands that grabbed her finger. She loved the thick sienna hair that fell over their eyes like Hatori's, how quiet and well behaved they were. She loved Hatori, how sturdy and dependable he was. She loved his quietness, the silent way he cared so much. Taking herself away from them would be the ultimate sacrifice, but it would mean a better future for all of them. That was a price she was willing to pay. It was one her mother had chosen, not so long ago.

"Thanks Liv, real positive outlook," Mira sneered.

"Well its not like you didn't already know I'm cynical by nature," she returned the sneer, and both girls starred each other for a moment.

Somewhere, deep inside…they had both missed this, the sisterly banter.

"Doesn't mean you have to be so blunt about our chances of success here!" she growled, feeling temper rise in her cheeks.

"OH, LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN ABOUT 'OUR' CHANCES," Liv snarled, her voice cracked loud like a whip, causing Maeko to jump and Kanji to grown out loudly. Mira narrowed her eyes sharply.

"And what the hell does that mean?" she snapped back, her voice breaking in temper.

"It means since Yuki – yeah, that's right, saying his name, since Yuki died, because of you and your irresponsible tendency to do whatever you want like use a gun without any former training, all you care about is making it right. Well guess what Mira, killing Mana isn't going to wipe out your slate. It's not going free you of that blame. His death was your fault. Nothing you do will change that," she stated harshly, far more than she needed to.

Mira absorbed the words, taking his name like a train smashing straight into her bruised body. Her eyes seemed to narrow for a moment, and then she deflected, "Lets just go" she muttered, her voice thick as she tried not to give into the tears. The effort burned behind her eyelids as she turned around.

From behind her, Liv actually scoffed. Maeko went to intervene, and Kanji smartly held her back, his arm tossed out across her body as she moved to put herself between them.

She wielded onto her heels, digging into the dirt as she stormed back around, "Fuck you Liv," Mira snarled, her hand cracked across her sister's cheek. For a moment everything went silent, and the two both starred at each other in shock – not believing what had just happened.

After a moment passed, Liv's hand felt the warmth of her cheek. Her eyes darted behind Mira, narrowing tighter. She pursed her lips together, "Hope your happy, now we've got company. Which is also your fault," she tacked on, smugly.

"Oh yeah, like it wasn't you shouting everywhere," Mira snarled, turning around to stare at the dark figure. The outline looked familiar, like she had dreamed it, or déjà vu was occurring. Kanji slid his hand into his jacket, and Mira could hear the click of the safety on his gun being clicked.

Call it coincidence, or fate but Mira stepped in front of Kanji then, holding up a hand. "Maybe its Hatori," she reasoned, flickering an expression over to Liv's face.

Liv shrugged, "Maybe" she mouthed, and then rolled her eyes. "If it is Hatori," she added on, glaring, "He might want to know that I'm still not speaking to him, and I am still not happy with him, for leaving me locked up in some damn basement for a week."

"I'll pass along the message," the voice was soft, and polite – an honest voice.

It had the power to put the feeling of a sharp dagger straight through Mira's heart. Her breath stopped, mingling in her tightening, suffocated throat. She couldn't breath as the moonlight fluttered down, shimmering softly on the dark shadow of a figure. Each second ticked by slower and slower, pulsing thickly under her skin with a tender, dull pain…like a healing bruise.

What felt like ages passing, the shadow finally became the form of a man.

And Yuki Sohma stepped out from the shadows.


End file.
